


Experimenting with Miracles

by AriaofYlisse, GhostiesandGhoulies



Series: Riren Family [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cute, Domestic Fluff, Drama, Established Relationship, Family, Family Drama, Female Hange Zoë, Fluff, Graphic Description, Hormonal Eren Jaeger, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Married Life, MobHan if you squint, Mpreg, Mpreg Eren Yeager, Pregnancy, Read at Your Own Risk, Romance, Smut, ooc moments, smut epilogue, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-08-19 17:55:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 66,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8219896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AriaofYlisse/pseuds/AriaofYlisse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostiesandGhoulies/pseuds/GhostiesandGhoulies
Summary: Levi receives unexpected news after Hanji meddles with things that she probably shouldn't have. Eren becomes moody and unpredictable and the entire Survey Corps realizes that something is up. They just weren't expecting pregnancy. Riren pairing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on fanfiction.net, this little family story has worked its way to Ao3! Prepare for a rollercoaster! If you have read any of my and Ghosties' work before, you would know we like us a bit of drama...but hey there will be lots of cuteness too. Finished on FF, so if you can't wait for the chapter update next week, then go there for your crack! But otherwise, hope you all enjoy~

It was the sound of retching that woke Levi. It was a harsh contrast to the quiet of the night. He rose from the bed, instantly noting the absence of his lover. The sound of sickness continued as he entered the restroom that was connected to his room. “Eren?”

The brunette was hunched over the toilet, clinging to the rim desperately. He heaved a few breaths and pulled away just so. 

"S-sorry," Eren stuttered, swallowing hard, "I don't feel so g-good."

Levi narrowed his silver eyes and approached Eren slowly, eyeing the heaving boy with mild distaste. "Disgusting..." he muttered as his love heaved again into the toilet.

Eren gagged and looked around to glare momentarily at Levi before he was overcome once again by sickness, and turned away. Levi stepped further into the room and reached a hand out to ruffle the man's messy bedhead. Eren smiled sadly before retching so harshly he began to cough.

Levi pulled his hand away like it was on fire, sneering down at the sick shifter, "You're not fucking contagious, are you brat?" He walked to the sink and began to rinse his hands like the clean freak he was.

Eren swallowed hard. He gritted his teeth, shaking uncontrollably as he tried to turn his head to his superior once more.

"Nooohh...I just woke up to use the bathroom...and got s-sick!" he punctuated his sentence with another powerful cough, heaving dryly.

"Mhph," Levi reached down and gently stroked Eren's back. "Then I'll stay up with you for a while."

Eren spit into the bowl, flushing the pot of sickness to rid the room of the awful, acidic smell. "Pfanks," he choked, smoothing a hand through his sweat filled locks. He gulped. The heaving was hard to control, so he did the only thing that seemed to help and closed his glossy green orbs, breathing haggardly through the lump in his throat.

As he kept watching his younger lover, Levi decided a trip to Hanji was in order. “Come on brat,” he snapped as it appeared the other had finished being sick, “we’re going to get shitty glasses to figure out what’s wrong.”

“She probably won’t even be up this early Levi,” Eren whined miserably, “let me just go to bed, I think I’m done being sick.”

The raven crossed his arms with a challenging air about him, “...And? You still look like shit and almost like you’re going to pass out. We’re going to Hanji, _now_.”

He released a weary sigh as his superior turned to leave, “W-Wait, Levi…”

“What now, brat?”

Eren flushed a bit, “..Help me up?”

Those sharp silver eyes rolled dramatically as Levi heaved him to his feet, fighting the urge to wash his hands again after he had.

"I swear I will fucking kill you if I get sick three days from now."

Levi turned and helped his weak partner to the door. He kept a strong arm underneath the other's, in case his body decided that the short walk was too much and an emergency "nap" was in order. Hopefully he wasn't _that_ sick, although Levi had to admit he looked a tad too pale and flushed for his tastes. The man frowned as they approached the scientist's room. 

He rapped rather loudly on the door, noting the way the boy had sagged against him when they had stopped moving. A few minutes passed and then the door opened to reveal a disgruntled Hanji.

She blinked heavily a few times, observing them wordlessly, “What..? I was tryin’ t’sleep.”

Levi glared at her, “As was I before the brat got sick. You get to figure out why.” He didn't await a response, instead he pushed forward into her messy room and plopped his ailing lover on her bed. “Better?” he asked absently.

“A little,” Eren replied eventually.

From the door, Hanji gave a groan of exasperation, tossing her sleeping cap on her desk as she attempted to wake herself up more fully. She stretched and approached the duo, “What's going on?”

“I just got sick and was a bit dizzy,” Eren replied, “but it has passed, now I'm just really tired and want to sleep.” He sent a pointed look to his superior as he finished.

The raven was unimpressed with his display, “You're sick shitface, stop making excuses.”

Hanji merely shrugged, “Seems normal to me.” She shared a swift and subtle moment of eye contact with Eren after.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“Sometimes he gets sick in the mornings,” she replied, “especially after yesterday's experiments, I was honestly kind of expecting him to get sick then.”

Mentally, Eren congratulated the scientist for coming up with a convincing lie. Levi would kill them both if he knew the truth. He looked to the said man pleadingly, “See? Can we go back to sleep now?”

Levi absently rubbed a hand over his eyes, sighing deeply, “I suppose, until you two idiots are ready to tell me what is really happening.”

Both brunettes gulped nervously.

The Corporal turned, “Well, come on shithead, let’s go back to sleep.”

Eren immediately realized that he wasn’t going to get any help going back to the room. He huffed indignantly and pushed himself to his feet. He tossed a curious gaze to the scientist, who shrugged in response. Maybe their experiment had worked.

The lovers made it back to their room, almost immediately collapsing on their bed. Eren snuggled into Levi’s side, smiling when an arm wrapped around him.

“When are you going to tell me what's going on?” came the hushed question. Although there was evident annoyance to be heard.

He hummed sleepily, “Mm’dunno what you're talkin’ about..”

Levi scoffed, “Shitty brat.”

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

His routine of getting sick in the mornings continued for the next two weeks. Each time, Levi would only look on in disdain until he had finished and then drag him back to bed. 

It was during which time that Eren began having nausea due to the smell of food cooking and even due to the odd dizziness he was experiencing. Plus he was unusually lethargic the whole time.

When it continued into the beginning of the third week, Levi drug him back to Hanji.

"Alright shitty glasses; you little shits are going to tell me what the hell is going on and how to stop it," the short Corporal said, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance, "I'm sick of waking up at four in the morning to deal with your sick ass. I have other shit to get done and I need my sleep for it."

Eren's brow furrowed in anger but he said nothing, still a little sick in the head and trying to focus on not puking on the floor. 

"I-if you were so against it you could've just g-gone to sleep and left me," the young man grumbled. 

"Shut up, Eren."

Levi crossed his arms impassively and looked to the half awake scientist. He didn't miss the unsure glance she sent to his sick brat. He glowered at her, cursing how used to his fiery looks she was. 

"Levi, nothing's wr-"

"Don't you fucking tell me nothing's wrong you shitface," he interrupted.

Hanji frowned. "Just give it a week and-"

"No. I already gave it a fucking week. I gave it almost four weeks and he's still fucking sick. Something's. Fucking. _Wrong_ ," Levi growled, excessive lack of sleep chewing at his patience.

Hanji's eyes flitted to Eren's once again, and Levi finally caught the picture.

"You did something to him didn't you?"

"Levi it's fine, really, it's a good thing..." Eren started.

But the words flew in and out of Levi's ears in a hurry. He walked calmly up to the scientist and grabbed her shirt by the fistful, forcing her down to his height. Gunmetal gray eyes burned holes into the pools of brown before them. Levi's slim raven brows narrowed to a dangerous level.

"I will only ask one more time, you piece of shit. What did you do? What the fuck's wrong with the brat?" Levi asked coolly, his dark undertone sending fearful shivers down Eren's spine. 

"It...uhm...Eren! Care to explain!? You're the one whose idea it was anyway!" Hanji shrieked. She tugged her shirt away from Levi's grasp and dusted it back into form, ducking away when the Corporal sent her another murderous glare.

"I-I! No! You tell him! I don't know how the hell to explain all the sciencey shit you did to me!" Eren's swift reply made Levi more and more suspicious. And angry.

The older male turned to Hanji again, eyes afire and knuckles white from the tightness of his fists. " _What did you do to him?_ " he asked.

Hanji let out a nervous laugh before hiding behind Eren on the bed, "N-nothing! He consented to all of it! We didn't even think it would work!"

"I d-did!" Eren stuttered on her behalf, "she didn't do anything I didn't ask for!"

Levi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he could go over and slap the two of them like the little bitches they were being. Was it really that hard to answer one simple question? Did he need to rephrase so their tiny, little brains could understand the words from his mouth? He pinched the bridge of his nose again, looking up to see green and brown eyes staring back at him in fear. He scoffed.

"Now here's the rundown," Levi started calmly, the bland tone creeping into his voice letting the other two in his presence know he meant business. "I haven't slept well in weeks because this little brat keeps waking me up with his horrid retching."

"It's not my-"

" _Shut up_ ," was the hissed retort before the speech continued, "I have come here multiple times now, every time in which you, told me nothing was wrong."

"Nothing is wrong, Levi. I told you everything is normal," Hanji provided unhelpfully.

"Throwing up for a month straight is not fucking normal," Levi spat back.

Hanji gulped and pushed Eren forward a bit more, hiding further. 

"I want to know what's going on. Now. None of your bullshit lies Hanji, and none of Eren's either. I want to know exactly what's happening and what you dipshits fucked with now." He punctuated his demand with the cross of his arms and an impatient tap of his foot.

Hanji and Eren looked at each other nervously. 

"You start," Eren squeaked.

Levi glowered and looked to Hanji.

The woman sighed and straightened her back, "We started experimenting about two months ago."

"With what?" Levi interrogated.

"With...some things. A drug I invented to be exact. I told Eren what it could do, and he said the effects of the drug were something he was interested in so we started a trial run!"

Eren looked down at his sweaty palms nervously as Hanji spoke. Levi watched him carefully, noticing something was off; There was still something Hanji hadn't told him, Eren's face made that obvious.

"And the drug is what's causing all this?" Levi asked.

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"N-no I don't think so," Hanji said quietly.

Levi opened his mouth to speak but Eren beat him to it.

"So...you think it worked then? Is, _that_ , really what this is?" Eren asked, eyes filled with wonderment.

Hanji smiled tiredly, "Yep, think so! Worked like a charm, eh? Didn't even take too long for the effect to take place either."

And there they were again, leaving Levi out of the loop of something that obviously affected him. He took a step forward, hands clenched again in frustration. Eren saw this and frowned slightly.

"Hanji, can you leave me and Levi alone now?"

Hanji grinned and stood from her place on the bed. She laid a hand on Eren's shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. "Knock 'im dead, kiddo!" she laughed, walking to the door.

Levi appeared surprised for a moment as Hanji left before looking to his lover in mild confusion.

"Eren what the hell...?" Levi stopped in his tracks when Eren patted the bed next to him, silenting offering him to sit down.

The Corporal furrowed his brow before sitting next to him. 

"Levi I should've talked to you before, I know, but..." Eren glanced up from his lap to see Levi's silvery eyes watching him. He smiled and continued softly, "But in a way we already had."

"What do you mean, brat? I'm sick of you dancing around the subject."

Eren fiddled with the material of his pajama bottoms until he felt comfortable answering.

"You still want to have kids together, right?"

Levi frowned, "What does that have to do with anything, you shitty-"

"Answer the question," Eren demanded, teal eyes pleading tensely with his superior. 

Levi shuffled a bit uncomfortably on the bed, unsure of where this conversation was headed. 

Eren's eyes pulled a response out of him, "Yes. One day."

The young adult smiled shyly and looked to his lover. 

"How about today?" he asked.

Levi's narrow eyes widened marginally as the statement hit him blind in the face. He looked to his lover's stomach realizing in utter shock that Eren had had his hand on his belly this whole time; _as if feeling for something_.

"I-it's not possible. We're both men," Levi stated, words now filled with uncertainty. 

"That's why me and Hanji were experimenting," the shifter said calmly.

"That makes no fucking sense! How is this possible? Y-you..! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Levi bumbled, for once (and only once) in his life lost for words when he utterly needed them.

Eren took his surprise the wrong way. He frowned and tears started to form in his aqua orbs. "Y-you're not happy?" he choked.

Levi's eyes widened again and he immediately grabbed his lover's hands in his own.

"Eren that's not what I mean. I just...can't believe it. We always thought it was impossible. In fact, it _is_ impossible."

"Well it obviously _is_ possible," Eren replied a little bitterly. "I'm...pregnant. I really am. It's not a fucking joke or anything."

The hand around Eren's tightened. The pregnant man looked up, utterly shocked to see Levi's eyes filled with tears.

"L-levi?! Are you okay?! Why are you crying?!" Eren cried, grabbing the man's face in his hands.

Levi laughed and Eren melted inside at hearing that sweet sound--Levi almost never laughed, or really showed any emotion besides annoyance. Eren gaped at the man but wasn't even allowed to wallow in his shock as Levi pulled him in for a hug. Levi initiating a hug, laughing, and crying--what the hell was going on with him?

"If you tell anyone about me crying, I swear I'll kick your teeth out. Pregnant or not," the strict man laughed.

 _There's Levi_ , Eren thought with a smile. He hugged the smaller man closer and breathed in his comforting scent. Excitement swelled inside him at the older's reaction. Eren had imagined drama, but nothing of this sort. Tell the others? Hell no, this moment was all his. 

"And don't think because I'm so happy that you and Hanji won't get the beating of a lifetime for going behind my back with this," Levi warned. But Eren really couldn't take him seriously with the way his superior clung to him and breathed excitedly into his shoulder.

"I wouldn't mark it off for anything," Eren laughed. 

Levi laughed a little and sat up straight, gray eyes piercing his lover's to the core. He took the younger's face in his hands and kissed his lips. 

"We're having a baby," Levi breathed.

Eren smiled and rested his forehead against his love's, "We are."

"I'm going to be a goddamn dad," Levi scoffed.

Eren nuzzled raven locks with his nose and sighed, "You are.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo I said every week but I'm too impatient to wait that long. So instead of every week, I will post almost every day or every other day, depending on how busy my days are. Hoorayyyy! More reading for you! Thanks to everyone who has already bookmarked or given kudos to this story! You all rock :)

 

Eren supposed he should have seen it coming, but even if he had he didn't think he would've been prepared for it. Since telling him of the news of approaching parenthood, Levi had gotten incredibly protective. The small things he had done before the news was nothing compared to what he was doing now. Truthfully, it kind of scared him.

His morning sickness routine continued, much to both of their chagrin. Though occasionally he was able to stay quiet about it and let Levi rest. He felt bad for being one of the causes behind his lover’s insomnia.

His stomach was still mostly flat but Hanji assured him that was perfectly normal, she supposed he wouldn’t begin showing until 15-18 weeks. Despite the relative flatness, he was already noticing some subtle changes.

Otherwise things continued as normal - Levi did paperwork and oversaw training, Eren helped clean and went to training, and Hanji kidnapped the shifter occasionally to try and figure out more about his condition.

As things kept progressing, the eccentric researcher came to a conclusion: “We need to tell Erwin so he can officially put you on light duty.”

Eren had quickly realized the fragility of his state of being. It was unknown territory, so the safer they played things, the less likely there would be any kind of mishaps. “Alright,” he conceded, “but I want Levi there. He knows Commander Erwin better… and he’s a more credible source.”

Hanji pouted, “Are you calling me untrustworthy?”

“No,” he replied with a laugh, “just a bit overenthusiastic. The Commander is more likely to believe this is actually happening if we have Levi with us.”

“Hmph.. Well can't really argue with that one..”

Together the two of them went to the said Corporal’s office. Hanji went to knock on the door - for once - but Eren just opened it and walked in.

Levi looked up expectantly, giving a small grunt when Eren plopped onto his lap. “What do you want brat?”

The shock that the short Corporal hadn't gotten pissed off about their lack of knocking had yet to wear off for Hanji. She gaped dumbly from the door.

“Hanji thinks we need to tell Commander Erwin about me so he can officially put me on “light duty”.”

“And this pertains to me how?”

The brunette gave him a loving smile, “That man trusts you a lot, so we figured he would believe I'm actually pregnant if you're there to help break the news.”

A small smirk appeared on the senior’s face, “So you want me to tell him I knocked you up?”

Eren flushed, “Maybe in a more eloquent way but yes - more or less.”

“Tch, fine,” Levi scoffed, “get up then.”

He pouted slightly, crossing his arms, “Where’s my kiss?”

Gray orbs rolled with exasperation, “Eren, really?”

“Yes.”

Eren let out a small yelp as he was wrenched closer, his pulse echoed dully in his ears.

“You’re ridiculous,” the other breathed before kissing him deeply.

Hanji let out a long sigh, “And this is how things all started…”

Levi flipped her off as he deepened the kiss.

“Can we go now,” she teased, “or do you two need to make sure Levi’s seeds were properly planted?”

He glared, “Fuck off, shitty glasses.”

The scientist held up her hands in mock surrender, a mischievous smile lighting up her face. “Hey I’m just calling things like I see them. Anyway, we really  _ should  _ go because I know Erwin has a lot to do today. We happen to be in one of his down times.”

Reluctantly the lovers parted and stood. “And how do  _ you  _ know his schedule so well,” Eren asked suspiciously.

Her glasses glinted mysteriously, “I have my ways, my little titan.”

“Stop calling him that, he’s not a titan,” Levi said sharply with furrowed brows.

“Ehh it’s okay, Levi, she means well,” the younger consoled quickly.

It didn't deter his glaring whatsoever. 

The rest of their walk was spent in quiet. Though Eren was pleasantly surprised when Levi threaded their fingers together. He tossed a slightly disbelieving look to his lover, then beamed when his senior acted like it was habitual and normal.

Erwin’s office came up quickly and after being granted entrance, they filed in quietly.

The blonde commander looked up at them with curiosity reflecting in his blue eyes. “Hanji, Levi, Eren,” he greeted them, “what can I do for you three?”

“We’ve got something exciting to tell you!” Hanji exclaimed with enthusiasm. She paused, “Well  _ they  _ have something to tell you! Anyways, we need Eren to be put on light duty.”

He raised a brow, “Light duty? Have you injured yourself, Jaeger?”

“N-Not exactly sir… you see… Uhmm..” Eren shuffled nervously, sending a pleading glance to his lover.

“He’s pregnant,” Levi stated easily, “Hanji doesn’t want him doing too much since he’s already a risk and we don't know how his body will handle it.”

Commander Erwin held up a hand, “Wait, hold on a second..... Eren is.. pregnant?”

“Yup!" Hanji exclaimed, “thanks to a handy dandy little concoction I fed him! ISN’T IT EXCITING?!”

He looked imploringly to the raven haired Corporal, “Is he really?”

Levi merely nodded.

“The symptoms are all there,” the brunette scientist proclaimed happily, “so I would say yes!” She clapped her hands together, “I’m so proud of myself.” Hanji let out a cry when a booted foot found her shin, “Son of a bitch, Levi!”

“Don’t think I have let it go that you two shits went behind my back with this,” he snapped.

“Mahhhhh but we meant well!”

“Shut your goddamn mouth woman.”

Eren looked sheepishly to his superior, “...So may I be put on light duty?”

Erwin was quiet for a long moment before giving a nod, “I suppose it would be best. Hanji will have to write bi-weekly reports on your.. progress.”

“Can do,” she exclaimed, “anything else!?”

“Yes. This is an evidently delicate situation, it would be best we keep this among the Survey Corps if at all possible. Supreme Commander Zackly will be informed by myself. But no one else should learn of Eren’s pregnancy as I can foresee quite a predicament if word of this gets out.”

Levi scoffed, “I'll kill anyone who gets too curious.”

Commander Erwin couldn't stop a roll of his eyes. “Try for subtlety, Levi.”

“Oh I can make a person disappear  _ very  _ quietly if they are fucking stupid and piss me off,” he countered.

Eren merely sighed. “Thank you Commander, we’ll try to keep things on the down-low.”

“I’d very much appreciate that. From  _ all  _ of you.”

Hanji gasped dramatically, “What are you implying by that Erwin?”

The titan shifter wordlessly grabbed his lover’s arm and left the office and ensuing argument behind. Once they were out, Eren let out a long and weary sigh.

Levi raised a brow, “What's with you?”

A pause, “..Nothing, let's go.”

“Don’t lie, you know I hate lying,” came the sharp retort.

He gave a wistful smile, “As do I and yet we have both lied to each other at some point or another. Funny how that works.”

A scowl formed on his lover’s lips, “Eren, tell me what’s wrong.” When he received no reply, Levi halted his motions, “Eren.”

“I’m scared,” he finally admitted, biting his lip. “When the rest of the Survey Corps finds out…. what if they hate me?”

“Don’t they already?”

Eren gave him a hurt look.

“...Sorry. That came out wrong. But, face it Eren, things would be the same as before; some like you and some don’t.” He shifted a bit uncomfortably, “..And knowing your bratty friends it will make no difference. I just don’t see why it matters.”

“It matters to  _ me _ , Levi,” he ground out bitterly.

Gray orbs narrowed, “I like you - isn’t that enough?”

Eren gave a groan of exasperation, “Of course it’s enough but-!”

“Then why does it matter to you if everyone else likes you or not?”

“Well  _ excuse me _ for thinking it might be nice to be able to walk around without a target on the back of my head! It would just be refreshing to be normal once in awhile but apparently I can’t have that,” he shouted, stalking off down the hallway.

Levi stood in his wake, feeling conflicted. It was difficult to relate to his lover’s situation as he had the opposite problem; everyone had taken a liking to him despite the fact that he hated them all. He let out a small sigh, crossing his arms. It took him only a moment to start off after his distressed brat.

He found him sitting on the roof, staring out over the training fields.

“I’m sorry,” Eren said, “I.. shouldn’t have yelled.”

It was oddly endearing how he would do that - even when he wasn’t at fault for things he would apologize for something he had done. Levi sometimes wished he were able to do the same for him, but he found it hard. 

Instead of saying anything, he walked up behind his brunette and wrapped his arms around him. Mild relief came to him when Eren reciprocated the hold by placing his hands over his. “It’s difficult for me to understand your situation sometimes,” he began slowly, “as I don’t feel the need for the approval that you do. That being said, I apologize for upsetting you.”

“No.. it’s not you,” came the reply, “it’s just that it's happened again - I’ve suddenly lost control of a situation and am forced to adapt.” He took a deep breath in an attempt to settle his nerves, “I wasn’t expecting Hanji’s serum to actually work but the prospect was appealing because you had said you wanted kids one day… so I did it, not expecting it to work.”

Levi looked down at him, “Do you wish it hadn’t?”

“For a moment,” Eren said with a crack in his voice, “and then I felt so guilty and.. disgusted with myself.”

The shorter man tightened his hold a bit as the response hit him fully. The question arose in his mind if his lover was ready for the difficult journey ahead of them. Eren was still pretty young, even if he was legally an adult. “...Do you still wish it hadn’t?” He almost feared the answer.

“No,” he said immediately, “more so I just feel bad I had wished it hadn’t happened.” His beautiful eyes were shiny with tears as he looked up at him, “I-I’m sorry, Levi.”

Levi shook his head a bit, planting a soft kiss on the other’s forehead, “There’s nothing to apologize for, idiot. This is.. a lot to take in. I understand that. And if…if you decide you don’t want to do this, we can have Hanji take care of it.”

Eren turned to him fully and huddled into his chest, “N-No… I don’t ever want that.. This is the best thing that has ever happened to us and I’m not taking that away.”

“But if you’re not ready-”

“Do you love me?” he asked, cutting his Corporal off.

Those steel eyes narrowed a bit, “What?”

He fiddled nervously with the cloth of Levi’s button down, “Do you love me?”

“Of course, why is that even a que-”

“Then I’ll be fine,” he interrupted again, “as long as I have you to love me and Hanji to make sure things go alright, then I’ll be fine.”

“ _ Stop interrupting me, _ ” Levi growled as he kissed him deeply.

Eren felt that he might melt right there.

Their breath was strained when they at last separated. They looked into each other’s eyes with a comfortable silence passing between them.

“You’ll be fine,” Levi stated firmly. He received a gentle smile in response which he very reluctantly returned. He scowled soon after, “Stop that.”

The younger cocked his head to the side, “Stop what?”

“Making me act like a brat.”

“So it’s some kind of bad thing that you’re happy?” Eren challenged with a smirk.

Levi flicked his nose, “No, it’s just annoying that you so easily find my weak spots.”

“Well I think it’s fun, in fact I really love the fact that I can get under your skin enough for you to have moments of 'weakness'. It’s cute, babe.”

“And stop calling me that.”

Eren stuck out his tongue playfully, “Not a chance.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all Kudos and comments and just everything. You guys are awesome!! Enjoy~

Eren stood staring at his reflection in the long mirror that Levi had in their room. His eyes were wide as he ran his hands over the distinguishable bump that was his belly. “Wow…” he breathed in utter amazement.

It had been a week since he had been placed on light duty. Others in the Corps were beginning to notice his absence from the days of more aggressive training, but no one had asked about it yet. 

With the passage of time, however, had come some new changes for the titan shifter. He was getting increasingly emotional over rather trivial things. One such example was when he had skipped breakfast one morning due to a strong headache and Levi had brought him a tray of light food; to say he had gotten emotional over it was an understatement.

Another change had been that he began to pay closer attention to how he bent to pick something up, or how he lifted something, how much he ate and what he ate. All were things he usually just  _ did  _ rather than think about them first. 

Eren lowered his shirt, successfully concealing the small bump that was forming. He eyed his reflection again with more scrutiny. It seemed that for the time being his usual shirts concealed everything.

With another quick adjustment, he hurried off to Levi’s office to show him his finding. He entered without knocking and smiled brightly, “Levi!!! You have to see this!”

The raven lifted his head with mild curiosity reflecting in his eyes, “See what?”

He lifted his shirt again and gestured to his slight bump, “I'm showing!”

There was an unusual intrigue in those gray eyes as the Corporal stood and rounded his desk. He wordlessly put his hand on the protruding skin ever so gently.

“It must've been developing and we just didn't notice,” Eren declared, blushing a bit at the touch his lover was giving.

“I suppose so.”

Levi found himself agreeing more easily with the brunette in fear of either being shouted at and kicked out of the bed or being cried on hysterically. Neither was particularly pleasant.

He yanked the shirt back down and pulled Eren down by his collar, kissing him. “Glad you showed me,” he murmured, “did you tell Hanji yet? God knows that woman would be freaking the hell out.”

“Nope I thought you should see first,  _ Papa Levi _ ,” Eren replied teasingly.

Levi raised a brow, “Papa Levi?”

“Yeah and I'll be Daddy Eren,” the other declared matter of factly.

His senior rolled his eyes indignantly, “Whatever you say, brat.”

Eren smiled and nuzzled his nose into Levi's cheek. "I'm going to go get some food, wanna come with me?"

Levi's eyes narrowed, "Isn't it past lunchtime?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't you eat lunch?"

His lips formed a pout, "Yeah. But I'm hungry and carrying your child."

The older sighed, "Whatever let's go."

Eren squealed happily and bounced to the door, Levi following hastily. 

"And don't start thinking you can play that card with me all the time, brat," he grumbled in a moody tone. 

Eren just smiled. 

They made their way to the mess hall again and scrounged up something for the carrying man to eat. Eren sat down and began merrily munching on a piece of crusty bread while the Corporal brewed himself a cup of tea. They sat there in peaceful silence awhile before the sound of doors and loud conversation wrenched them from thought.

Various groups of Scouts began to pile in the hall, fresh from training and ready for food. Among them were many members of the 104th squad. Mikasa and Armin caught sight of Eren and immediately made a beeline for his table.

"Remember, low profile," Levi whispered as a reminder, taking an uninterested sip of his tea.

Eren swallowed carefully. Keep  _ this _ from  _ Mikasa?  _ Was that even possible?

"Hi guys," he called as they approached.

Mikasa sat across from him and looked him up and down, assessing for damage or frailty. When she made eye contact with Levi, she scowled.

"Hello, Eren. Hello, midget," she greeted suspiciously.

Levi scoffed and turned his shoulder to her. Eren rolled his eyes.

"Why weren't you at training, Eren?" Armin asked, blue eyes curious and mild.

The teen began to sweat.

"U-uhhhm..."

Levi elbowed him, "He's been put on light duty by Commander Erwin," he answered for him.

Mikasa's eyes turned dark.

"Why's that, Eren?" she pushed.

"I-I'm, er, uhh..."

He was saved from answering when Jean sauntered up, swagger in his step and fight in his eyes. 

"Where were you today, Jaeger? Too busy getting pampered as the Corporal's bitch to train?" Jean challenged.

Levi's eyes flicked up dangerously and Jean flinched a bit.

"Haah, er, but seriously where the hell were you, dumbass?" he rephrased.

"I'm on light duty." 

Mikasa leaned forward in her seat, "Eren was just about to tell us why."

"Yeah what the hell?! Why do you fucking get off duty?" Jean bursted.

"Were you injured, Eren? Are you feeling alright?" Armin asked with concern.

Eren looked ready to faint. Was he just supposed to lie to all these people--all his friends? They were going to find out soon anyway, right?

"I-I'm pr--"

A hand shot out and slapped Eren lightly on the arm. The Corporal's glare was fire as he nudged his leg under the table. Eren quickly shut his mouth, half due to shock and half due to not wanting to die.

"His titan training has been wiping him out lately. Erwin put him on light duty so he can keep up his strength for the experiments." Levi responded calmly.

Mikasa scowled, "And why couldn't you let Eren answer for himself?"

"Because he's a brat."

"Hmph. You know he probably wouldn't be so exhausted all the time if you weren't so hard on him."

Eren frowned at her, but kept his mouth shut. He knew if he spoke he'd fuck this up somehow.

"You're right, Mikasa. I shouldn't fuck him so hard each night--I suppose it does take a bit out of him. Though he should be used to it by now," he took a sip of his tea.

You could almost see the steam coming out from Mikasa's ears. Levi smirked into his cup.

"I swear to god, shorty..." Mikasa began to rise from her seat.

And that was when Eren shot to a stand.

"Okay, okay! Let's just calm down here a moment! This is no one's fault, alright? So let's just forget about it and..."

"Aaawww! Come on, Eren, you know that isn't true!! I'm pretty sure Levi had  _ a lot _ to do with it actually!"

Everyone turned to see the new player in the game. The crazed scientist waltzed into the mess and plopped herself down next to the Captain. She smiled wildly at everyone, offering no explanation for her outburst.

" _ Hanji," _ Levi hissed.

"What did you do to him?" Mikasa interrogated.

"Eren are you showing yet? I wonder what it will look like!!" Hanji bounced on her seat.

Eren's cheeks were flowering red, he hid his face in his hands in embarrassment. It just kept getting worse, and worse...

"Hanji, shut your mouth or I will rip you limb from limb," Levi warned.

Jean stuck his horse face up in Eren's business. The other teen tried to slink away but Jean wouldn't budge.

"What's wrong with your face, Jaeger? Why are you getting all red? You haven't even done anything today so why the hell are you overheating?"

"Eren are you okay?" Armin's voice was barely audible over the others' rambling.

"I swear you stupid midget if you hurt him..." Mikasa continued threatening Levi.

"I wonder what it'll look like? Will it be deformed because it's not growing in a normal environment?" Hanji babbled like an idiot.

Eren couldn't take it anymore. All the bodies up in his personal space, all the opinionated voices fighting for airtime, Jean's shitty breath in his face--it was all too much. His resolve was breaking fast.

"Pull your shirt down, Jaeger, it's riding up! What the hell are you, some kind of heathen? Are you getting  _ fat _ ?!" Jean yelled.

That was it. That was the breaking point. Tears flooded Eren's eyes and a wave of emotion rammed into him like a tsunami. 

"I'm not fat, I'm pregnant!" he sobbed.

The table went silent. In fact, it seemed the entire room had gone silent.

Mikasa glared furiously at Levi who had a hand on his forehead - his exasperation at his lover's stupidity visibly showing. 

Jean spluttered and then glared, “Don't make excuses! You're just getting fa-AHHH SHIT!”

Eren had taken a page from his lover’s book and kicked horse-face in the shin as hard as he could. He slumped into his seat at the table after, hiding his face as he continued crying. He felt ridiculous for being so emotional.

“What the  _ hell  _ did you do to him?” the ravenette growled out dangerously to the short man. 

“How did this even happen? It's not possible is it?” Armin squeaked out with wide eyes.

Sasha and Connie leaned over the table eagerly, “Wait, Eren's not really pregnant is he, Corporal Levi?”

Ymir merely raised an incredulous eyebrow while Christa gaped dumbly.

“Isn't this great!” Hanji exclaimed excitedly.

Levi smacked the brunette in the side of the head, thus knocking off her glasses.

The woman screeched and desperately began searching the floor for her fallen spectacles.

Everyone quieted again when the short Corporal rose from his seat and rounded the table. He said nothing as he pulled the crying brunette to his chest.

Eren clutched onto his shirt instinctively, pressing his face into the material in an attempt to hide his face.

“Stop that, brat, you're making me all wet,” Levi scolded lightly as he ruffled those unruly locks.

“S-So wait is that suicidal bastard really pregnant?” Jean demanded once he had recovered from Eren’s kick.

Hanji giggled, “Yes he is! All thanks to me and my miracle drug!!....Well that and the fact that these two go at it like rabbits.”

Eren flushed bright red and then promptly fainted. Levi was quick to catch him as he threw the brunette researcher a murderous look.

“Look what you did now, shitty glasses,” he muttered.

She huffed in return, “Not entirely my fault, he'll probably be fainting more often - merely due to the changes his body is undergoing right now.”

Levi glared at her.

Hanji shrugged, “It happens.”

Armin came up beside the woman with caution, “So Eren really  _ is  _ pregnant?”

She beamed, “Sure is! I can't believe he's already showing! This is going to be such an exciting 9 months!!”

Mikasa, who had remained silent to that point, spoke then, “Did you know about this?”

The raven stared back at her blankly, “I didn't until a couple of weeks ago. These idiots went behind my back about it.”

“Hey! I wasn't even sure it was going to work, so Eren decided not to say anything so as not to raise your hopes up!”

“Which doesn't make him any less of an idiot,” Levi hissed as he hefted his unconscious lover into his arms. He offered no explanation as he left the room intent on returning to his quarters.

Eren stirred at some point but quickly stilled, this time falling into the clutches of sleep.

Levi laid the boy down on their bed and pulled up a blanket to his chin. But instead of leaving, he sat down on the edge of the bed and observed the other. One of his hands found the other’s cheek, brushing against it gently. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards when Eren nuzzled into the touch.

A quiet knock on the door broke the moment.

With a huff of air, the raven stood and went to the door. He only opened it a bit, scowl in place. 

Erwin stood there with a look that could only be described as disgruntled. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and looked to Levi expectantly. “What happened to being subtle about things?”

“Blame shitty glasses, I said nothing,” he replied dully.

The tall blonde shook his head in response, “I swear… Hanji will be the death of me one day. She's much too eccentric.”

“Just now realizing that?” Levi questioned with a deadpan intonation.

A small smirk appeared on the Commander’s face. He seemed to see something behind his underling and stifled a chuckle. “I should leave you to deal with..  _ that.  _ I owe Hanji a visit anyway.”

An elegant brow rose, “With what?” It was then that the sound of retching reached his ears. Levi groaned, “Dammit brat, can you stop getting sick? It's fucking disgusting.” He was quick to shut the door and go into the adjoining bathroom, sneering at the acidic smell in the room.

“Not my f-fault your kid keeps upsetting my stomach,” came the weak reply.

“ _ My  _ kid? I think you mean  _ our  _ kid, god knows he didn't get those disgusting habits from me.”

Eren rolled his eyes as he finished being sick, “It’s not like I habitually make myself sick, it just happens. Neither of us can control it and therefore neither of us are at fault.” He rubbed at his forehead wearily. “Ughhh my head hurts…”

“You're contradicting yourself now, shithead,” Levi scolded.

Those green eyes were confused, “...No? My head really hurts?”

Levi was unsurprised at his reaction. He rolled his eyes dramatically and said, “Nevermind, let’s get you back in bed.”

He tucked his young lover into the sheets and kissed his brow. 

"I need to go do some paperwork I left in my office," Levi said, a hint of disdain reflecting in his usually unchanging voice. "Will you be okay here for now?" 

Eren's face twisted, let down by his lover's quick retreat.

"It's fine. Just...come back when you're done?" he ended in a whisper.

Levi smirked, "I always do."

He slipped out the door without another statement. Eren sighed. How could Levi being gone for only five seconds make him feel so alone? He tugged the blanket up closer around him trying to fight the loneliness. 

Then there was a knock at the door. That...couldn't be Levi, right? He knit his brows and snuggled further into the bed.

"Umm, who is it?" he asked, confused.

Most people would never come near his room...mostly because it was Corporal Levi's room too. 

"Mikasa."

Well that explained it--Mikasa didn't even fear death.

"Come in!" he called.

His adopted sister slipped into the room quietly, looking around the small space. 

"Where's shorty?" she asked curiously.

"Paperwork," Eren explained.

He fiddled with the edge of his blanket, awaiting for the question he knew was coming.

"So you really are pregnant?"

"I am..."

"And Levi's the dad?"

Eren blushed, "Well, he’ll be one of them yeah..."

He couldn't meet her eye, but the sudden sensation of arms wrapping around him pulled him from his doldrums. Eren hugged her back, a little confused.

"Mikasa?"

"I guess I know he's serious about you now," she mumbled into his shoulder.

Eren pulled back with a laugh, "You didn't think he was serious when he proposed to me?"

"I had to make sure," she said with narrowed eyes.

He laughed again and pushed her lightly. Mikasa gave one of her rare smiles and pushed him back. 

"Are you happy?" she asked him.

Eren bit his lip to keep an all out smile from breaking across his face. "Yeah...I am."

"Then that's all that matters."

She stayed and talked to him a while and at some point Armin came in and talked to him too. He began to wonder if Levi had sent them up to him to keep him occupied--not that he minded. By the time that they both left, it was only a few minutes before his lover walked back in.

"Mikasa and Armin were here," he told him.

"That so," Levi mumbled, plopping on the bed next to him.

"Mhmm, you sent them didn't you?"

"Don't know what you're talking about," Levi turned toward him on the bed and pulled him close.

"I think you're lying."

"Shut up we're taking a nap," he hushed.

Eren smiled and snuggled into his superior's strong grasp.

"Whatever you say babe..."

They fell asleep there in each other's arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy my darlings~!  
> And thank you once again for all comments and kudos and all! Support is greatly appreciated and smiled at :)

He woke up with a stomach ache - that was how it all started. It wasn't exactly unusual for his stomach to be upset, but something was different and it threw up red flags in his mind. Eren laid in bed for a bit, expecting the pain to fade but it didn’t. Each passing moment that it lingered brought him closer and closer to panicking.

Something was  _ wrong _ . There had to be. The rational part of his mind reasoned that he merely needed to eat. But the motherly part that had been developing within him screamed that there was something wrong. 

And so he got himself out of bed and went straight to Levi’s office where he hoped the man would be. Eren entered with a quick knock and was only mildly surprised to find the room empty. He huffed and went back to the room to dress himself in day clothes.

Immediately he began his hunt for the eccentric brunette researcher, hoping that she would be able to sate his frantic thoughts. He checked the mess hall only to find it empty as well. It was enough to give him pause. “Are they all out training?” he wondered aloud.

Meanwhile, his oddly powerful stomach ache continued. He placed a hand on his belly unconsciously, sparing the growing bump a lingering glance. Eren decided to brave going outside after failing to come upon anyone indoors.

He instantly shivered at the cold temperature that met him. Levi would've been scolding him fiercely for forgetting his cloak. Hopefully it would be a quick venture.

Eren could already hear the distinctive sounds of training from somewhere nearby. He guessed they were in the main training field, but he didn't really understand why everyone was present. He wrapped his arms around himself as his body was wracked with another shiver.

He came up on the training session rather quickly, eyes scanning the large crowd for either Levi or Hanji. Observing things made him realize it was one of their monthly wellness checks. Which also helped explain the presence of… well everyone.

“Eren,” someone exclaimed, “what are you doing out here?”

The brunette turned in surprise to find Hanji herself jogging up to him. “Hanji! I needed to see you,” he said fervently.

She cocked her head to the side, “Why’s that? Is something wrong?”

“I-I think so? I don't know, something just feels wrong… I'm worried about the baby,” he said quickly, a hand once more finding his stomach.

“Okay, okay, but Eren I need you to calm down,” Hanji replied in a soothing tone. 

He hadn't even noticed how quick his breathing was. He shook his head, “Hanji what if something's wrong with the baby!?”

She put a hand on his arm, “Then we will figure it out, but you need to breathe. You're going to faint again at this rate.”

Eren hardly heard her. His vision was beginning to spin.

“Eren you have to slow your breathing!”

“What the fuck is he doing out here?” came a new voice.

He looked up blearily to see his lover with a furious expression on his face. 

“He's worried that something is wrong with the baby,” Hanji replied shortly.

“ _ Is  _ something wrong with the baby?”

The brunette huffed, “I don't know yet, I need him to calm down first.”

Levi looked at him levelly, “Brat calm down, you're going to faint.”

“That's what I told him.”

The raven haired Corporal quickly realized they weren’t getting through to his lover. He unfastened the clasp on his cloak and threw it over Eren’s shoulders. He made a brief moment of eye contact with the other and immediately he knew what was going to happen next.

He tugged the boy forward to rest against him just in time for him to lose consciousness. “Shitty brat,” he scolded. His gray eyes then turned to his taller companion, “We’re taking him in and  _ you’re _ going to check on the baby.”

Hanji raised her hands in surrender, “Aye Captain!”

Levi outright glared at her as he began lugging his precious cargo back towards the indoors.

“Man you're moving pretty quick on those little legs of yours,” she commented at some point, “we’ll probably have a while until he wakes back up.”

He intentionally tripped her up as she walked beside him for her comment. “Yes and in the meantime he's still out in this fucking cold, I won't have him sick while he's pregnant.”

“You worry too much shorty.”

“God forbid one of us have a fucking sensible head around this shitty place,” he snarled.

Hanji again raised her hands, “Easy tiger, damn! You're really snippy today.”

“I woke up at the crack of dawn to test some shitty kids on their ability to walk and breathe, I have a dumbass for a lover who thinks it's a good idea to go out in the cold without his fucking cloak, believes there to be something wrong with our kid and faints because he freaks himself out, and then I have to listen to your shit for brains,” he muttered. “But  _ excuse me _ for being a little fucking irritated.”

His companion just laughed at him. “It's really entertaining actually, keep it up,” she encouraged. 

If he had had a free hand, he would've flipped her off.

They headed directly for his quarters with Hanji being silent the whole way. Levi was gentle in laying Eren on the bed. He resisted the urge to cover up his form and stepped back, sending a pointed glance to his colleague. “Now figure out if something's wrong.”

She rolled her eyes and strode forward. She began with checking Eren’s vitals, figuring if something was wrong with the baby that his own body would show some sort of reaction. Her brow furrowed as she noted nothing out of the ordinary. Even his temperature was normal. With a small hum, she leaned over and put her ear to his belly and closed her eyes. The sound that greeted her made her bust out with laughter.

“What,” Levi snapped from the side.

“N-Nothing's wrong with the baby,” she said through laughing, “but when is the last time he had a good meal and kept it all down?”

The question had him thinking. “Yesterday at breakfast, I think.”

Hanji gave a fond smile, “Well there's your answer, he's just really hungry. I'll go grab some food for once he wakes up.”

His jaw dropped as Hanji bounced to the door. He looked to Eren, laying palely on the bed and shook his head. All that stress over a little growl in his stomach?

"God dammit, brat," he grumbled, carding a hand through his lover's chocolate locks. 

Eren leaned into the touch, teal eyes opening blearily for a moment. He blinked up at Levi.

"D-did I faint?" he asked drearily.

Levi scoffed and flicked his nose, "Yes, you did. And you need to stop doing that too."

The younger chuckled before his eyes settled onto his baby belly. He immediately frowned, eyes widening.

"I-is the baby okay?" he asked in rising panic.

"Yes. Nothing's wrong."

Eren sighed in relief. His hands found his stomach and rubbed the little bump there fondly. He looked up to Levi with a shy smile. 

"I got scared..."

"No shit you were practically sobbing by the time I got to you," Levi reminded him.

"I felt something weird in my stomach, and I-I thought the baby was in distress or something," Eren sniffled.

"You're hungry."

"No thank you I don't feel like-"

"No, Eren," Levi insisted. "You're hungry. That's why your stomach was hurting, you need to try to eat more. The pain you were feeling was the need to eat."

Eren's face flushed and he looked to his lap.

"Haha...Oh."

Levi shook his head, picking up one of his love's hand and kissing it.

"Such an idiot..."

“I can't help it,” he said with a pout, “I'm still new at this.”

“Well in a way, we all kind of are,” said someone from the doorway. Hanji stood there with a big tray of various foods, “This is not exactly a usual happening, so we all have adjustments to make. But that's okay! Learning experience.” She brought the tray over and put it on the bedside table.

“I would start light,” she advised, “we don't know how your stomach will handle and we need you to keep everything down.”

A look appeared in those green eyes that Levi could only categorize as sheepish determination. At least he realized the importance of the matter. He tossed a wayward glance to his companion, “Do we need to go back out there? Because I really don't want to.”

Hanji chuckled, “I probably should, but I can just alert Erwin to the fact that Eren needed you and he should let it go.” A glint of mischievousness appeared in her eyes, “He seems most afraid to delve into any kind of interference. I think he's scared of Eren.”

Eren coughed around the food in his mouth, “W-Wha?”

“Don't talk with your mouth full,” Levi scolded. A wily smirk appeared after a moment, “I thought you had already learned that in our time together.”

The titan shifter flushed a brilliant red in response, “Leviiii….”

Hanji stifled some laughter, “Right! Well, on that note, I think I'll retreat outside. Good luck my little titan!”

As the two sat in comfortable silence, something occurred to Eren.

“ _ Oh!  _ You did that to get rid of her, didn't you?”

The older male crossed his arms, “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Eren rolled his eyes, “Sure.”

“Shut up and eat, brat. You don't have to eat everything but at least get something in you.”

“I'll eat as much as I can,” he declared, “I owe it to the baby for not eating more yesterday.”

Levi scrutinized him, “Fine, just eat what you can handle and no more.”

The titan shifter waved him off and began munching on the fruits Hanji had collected.

Those gray eyes rolled in exasperation, “I need to go get some paperwork to do or Erwin will have a hissy fit. Will you be okay for a bit?”

Eren nodded and rightfully kept quiet as he chewed on apple slices. As his lover left the room, he began eating at a quicker pace. He had deprived his child of food for too long, what kind of parent was he turning out to be? He only paused long enough to swallow the chunks of food before continuing on. As he started on the more solid foods, it finally hit him how hungry he really was. Guilt hit him fiercely at the thought that he had been keeping such nourishment from his baby.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I won’t be that selfish again.”

By the time Levi reentered the room, the tray was completely devoid of any food. He stared at it for a moment before shifting his gaze to his resting brunette. “Did you really eat _everything,_ ” he asked warily.

Eren was rubbing a hand over his developing belly which gave away his satisfaction, “Mmm? Oh, yeah. It was good. I’m kind of feeling ready for dinner, but I’ll hold off for a bit.”

His senior narrowed his eyes, “But did you have room for all of that? That was a lot of food.”

Something akin to hurt reflected in his green eyes, “W-What are you trying to say?”

“I’m just.. surprised I suppose,” Levi conceded, “I don’t think you’ve ever eaten that much.” He silenced himself when he realized the other was on the verge of crying.

“I can’t help it! The baby needed to eat,” Eren shouted at him tearfully. “I’m going to be getting bigger and eating more because I have to eat for two! You don’t get to judge me for it either - since you helped make me this way!”

There he was again, yelling at him for something that was trivial at best. The Corporal sighed in response, “Eren, you know that’s not what I meant. That was a lot, even given your increased appetite.”

“BULLSHIT,” he barked, anger replacing the hurt he had felt.

It took quite a bit to get him to a point where he didn’t really know how to handle something; but the freakouts that Eren had been having drove him to that point repeatedly. Levi stayed quiet, trying to formulate something to say that wouldn’t be used against him. It was like working with a complicated and constantly changing puzzle; also known as a pain in the ass.

Eren glared at him, “Nothing to say? So I  _ was  _ right.”

He scowled right back at him, “Eren you’re being irrational.” Levi immediately realized that had been a mistake to say.

His eyes lit with an angry fire, “Oh  _ I’m _ being irrational!? Says the one who accuses me of eating too much - nevermind the fact that I’m carrying your child!” The brunette crossed his arms over his slightly protruding middle, purposefully looking away from his raven haired lover.

Levi had to wonder if he had ever directly accused the brat of eating too much or if Eren was just jumping to conclusions.. again. He huffed and decided to try again, “Eren..”

“I don’t want to hear it, Levi.”

His own irritation began to rise, “No, you don’t get to shout about something I never said, brat. You’re going to listen to reason because obviously you’re beyond it at this point.”

“Well I’m not going to listen because you don’t get to decide if you hurt my feelings or not! You did, so I’m done talking to you right now,” Eren spat as though he were a dangerous snake. He flung back his covers and shot to a stand. A wave of invertigo crashed over him suddenly, making him sway and stumble. Blackness crept in the sides of his vision in an intimidating manner.

Levi was quick to leap to his feet and grab onto the other, “Easy, brat. You moved too fast.”

“G-Get off, I’m still mad at you,” the titan shifter growled wearily. He shook himself and yanked his arm out of his superior’s grip. 

Eren stalked to the door and threw it open.

“Eren--” Levi tried again, only to have the door slammed before him. 

The older male groaned dramatically and plopped down on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. 

“God fucking dammit. I’m going to die before this nine months is up…” he grumbled into his palms.

 

* * *

Eren was fuming. He rampaged down the hall and out into the cold air outside, trying to put as much space between him and his cynical husband as humanly possible. What an asshole! Who on earth tells their pregnant partner that they’ve eaten too much? The thought again made Eren upset and he wiped a fresh line of tears from his teal eyes. He stomped around on the grounds until he found a comfortable patch of grass to sit in. It was freezing outside but he was mad and didn’t care. If Levi really loved him he would come out and apologize before he froze to death.

Still, he curled into himself, shielding his belly from the cold with his arms. It was feeling...weird down there. Obviously he had started feeling different since the pregnancy began, but this was something a little different. A slight sickening feeling and a few cold twitches. Maybe he needed to go inside after all. 

With a huff he stood again and stalked back inside, not at all happy that he hadn’t had the proper time to pout outside in the cold. He walked back in and hovered near the door to the kitchen where it was always warm, due to the food being cooked inside. Eren slid down the wall and looked up at the ceiling in annoyance. Levi was taking way too long to come down and apologize to him. He furrowed his brow before he started to feel that weird stirring in his stomach again.

His anger quickly began to subside as he moved around the strange discomfort. It didn’t hurt, it just felt weird...was something wrong? Maybe he really had eaten too much; he probably had made himself sick. In that case,  _ he  _ probably needed to go apologize to Levi for being so loud and brash. He scowled at the thought as he was still a bit bitter, but started to head back to his room. As he moved, the sloshing in his stomach just continued. He was starting to get worried.

By the time he reached the room again, he was reaching hysteria. He grabbed for the doorknob in rising panic when the door flung open. Levi stood in the doorframe, a mildly surprised look in his unexpressive eyes. 

“Eren...I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

Eren broke. He ran forward and threw his arms around his partner. Levi held him close, stroking his hair and murmuring comforting words as Eren searched for his.

“My s-stomach feels weird,” he cried.

“It’s okay, Eren. It’s fine,” Levi soothed.

The younger stiffened before tearing away to look at his lover with tear-filled eyes.

“No! It feels different than before! It’s...it’s uncomfortable! Like everything in there is swirling and…” Eren sniffed.

Levi frowned and pulled Eren back to him. He guided the teen’s head to lay against his chest as he rubbed his back softly.

“Do you think you just need to throw up?”

Eren shook his head frantically.

“No! The b-baby needs the food...I can’t let it down again...I n-need to keep it down.”

Both were quiet a moment. Levi hugged Eren tighter and rested his chin atop the brunette’s head. What the hell was he going to do with this hysterical brat?

“Do you want me to go get Hanji again?” Levi tried. He was really running out of options here, and wasn’t really sure he could handle Eren all by himself anymore.

Eren clutched onto his shirt desperately and nodded. The short Corporal sighed and slung an arm around his lover. He laid a hand instinctively on his husband’s baby bump as he looked him in the eyes.

“All right I’ll go--” Levi stopped.

Eren tensed and gripped onto Levi’s arm like it was his lifeline.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded.

Levi dropped to his knees and placed a hand on either side of his lover’s belly.

“L-Levi?! What are you--?” Eren gasped, Levi holding a finger to his lips to shush the younger.

“Eren…”

“What is it?!”

A warm smile had spread across Levi’s stoic lips. He lifted his gray orbs to connect with Eren’s. 

“Nothing’s wrong, you shithead,” he declared, moving his hands gently against Eren’s tummy.

“Then what…?”

“It’s the baby. It’s moving.”

Dreamy. That was the only way Eren could describe the look on Levi’s face. His gray eyes were filled with a happy light and his pale skin was glowing in delight. He was smiling, too--Eren loved seeing him like that.

A cool hand slipped to his and he watched carefully as Levi led it to lay on his growing stomach. He gasped when he felt it. A quick little twitchy feeling, like something moving within him. And at the same time within him he felt that swirling. Once again nothing was wrong. He met his love’s gaze and smiled.

“Our baby…” he breathed.

Levi stood and brought him in for a searing kiss.

The sound of a subdued squeal broke them apart. They turned to look down the hall only to find Hanji herself standing there looking as though she were on the verge of tears.

A scowl slipped back onto the Corporal’s face, “What, shitty glasses?”

She shook her head and beamed at them, “N-Nothing! That was just… sooo precious.” The researcher began slinking down the hall in a non discreet manner, “Don’t mind me! Just keep being a happy couple! Let me know if you need anything!”

Eren gave a wet laugh, choosing to take the woman’s advice and ignore the intrusion. He nuzzled his face in the crook of Levi’s neck affectionately. “Mmm sorry too,” he whispered after a while.

Levi rolled his eyes. It seemed that the younger was taking his peacekeeping role yet again. “We were both being idiots,” he said.

“No, I was just expressing the fact that I don’t want you talking about how much I eat,” the other muttered.

“Well I could’ve done without the dramatics.”

“Hormones,” Eren said definitively.

“That can’t always be your excuse for your irrationality,” Levi stated.

Eren rested his hands on Levi's strong arms and looked up at the man, a mischievous glint in his colorful eyes.

“Watch me.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for the rollercoaster! We did tag this with drama, yeah? Well that starts now.  
> Idk if I need it but warnings for domestic fights (nonviolent, very smol) and family drama  
> Yayyy!! Hope you all enjoy (also there is still fluff in there too ;)
> 
> Enjoy~

As his pregnancy kept progressing, Hanji had begun calling him to her lab so that she could check his vitals and other general things like his weight and food intake. Levi always made sure he was present during the check ups in case she ever found something unusual while she was checking Eren over.

“Levi, we need to go see Hanji again,” the titan shifter called to his husband.

His senior’s brow was furrowed as he stepped out of their bathroom, “Didn’t we just go see her a week ago?”

Eren rolled his eyes in response, “You know how she gets.”

“Goddamn shitty glasses.”

They were quick to head to her lab in hopes that they wouldn’t have to deal with an unexpected visit to their room. Eren allowed the door to swing open with an audible creak to announce their presence.

“Hanji! We’re here,” the titan shifter said loudly when there wasn’t an immediate response.

“Oh! HELLO MY DEARS,” the woman exclaimed from the other side of the room. There were several loud crashes as she practically leapt over the work benches she had scattered about the room.

The raven haired Corporal wrinkled his nose at the sheer lack of cleanliness, “This place is a disaster waiting to happen.”

Finally she came into their view as she approached them excitedly. “I’m glad you remembered to come this time! Makes things go a lot quicker.” Her eyes then traveled to Eren, her brown eyes going wide as she took in his protruding stomach. “Wow Eren...you're seriously growing quickly,” Hanji observed with nervousness evident in her voice.

Eren immediately picked up on her uncertainty, “..Is that bad?”

“No! Well..” the brunette rubbed the back of her head anxiously, “maybe.. See, this was an extremely experimental thing and I don't really know what the end result may be given your shifting abilities.”

Levi, who stood nearby, narrowed his eyes. “And what the hell is that implying here, shitty glasses?”

The researcher seemed to deliberate her response before replying. “Thing is, Eren’s stomach is bigger than a child should be at this point in time - I mean, he should only be showing a bit,” she stated, “therefore… the possibility is there that the baby could be.. different.”

“Different  _ how _ ,” Levi ground out venomously.

She bit her lip, “It’s a low chance, but.. Eren could be carrying a titan child.”

_ “What?!” _

Hanji winced at their simultaneous outcry. “We still have limited knowledge about his abilities, it very well could come out a shifter or even a titan! I can’t tell just by looking at his stomach!”

“You are  _ not _ cutting him open,” Levi spat, “so you had better fucking find out a way to tell.”

Eren was surprised by the ferocity in the other’s tone, “Levi…”

“ _ No _ , I'm not going to let you carry if it's a fucking titan.”

He flinched at the cold stare he received. Anger welled in the pit of his stomach, “Even if it has your blood pumping through its veins?! Even then you would have me kill it before it has even lived?!”

“Yes.” There wasn’t even a trace of hesitation in his tone.

He was horrified at that answer. “E-Even if it was our child, y-you'd kill it..?”

“There's a big difference between a child and and a titan,” Levi countered haughtily.

“Oh so I guess there's also a  _ big difference  _ between a titan and a human too, huh?” Eren snapped back, hurt reflecting in his green eyes.

Hanji sucked in a breath, wincing slightly.

That stopped any response the short Corporal may have had, “No Eren that's not wh-”

“That's sure as hell what it sounded like!” Tears came into his eyes, “I can't believe you would say something like that… We don't even know what it will be. It could just be a large baby!”

“Which is why we need Hanji to find out, I'm  _ not  _ going to let you carry it if it's a goddamn titan.”

“And  _ I'm  _ not going to let you dictate this choice! It's my child too, Levi, not just yours!” Eren was glaring by that point, “Even if it is a 'fucking titan' I'm going to carry it because it's our child. I won't kill it before it has even had a chance to live.” He felt so betrayed, so bitter at the response his lover was giving.

“You could die if it grows too large, you realize that, don't you,” Levi asked, voice no longer conveying the frustration he felt; instead it had gone to a deadly monotone.

“Hanji could figure something out,” the younger said resolutely, refusing to believe otherwise.

Those cool gray orbs darkened, “And if she can't? I would lose you, Eren.” His pregnant lover shot up faster than Levi had ever seen him, grabbed him by the collar and brought him close.

“ _ Hanji would figure something out, _ ” came the scathing reply. He shoved him a bit away and stalked out of the room, leaving behind his two superiors in shock.

Once outside, Eren heaved some shaky breaths, a hand going to his stomach. “Don't worry,” he whispered, “I won't let them lay a hand on either of us…” A slight fluttering against his fingertips brought a smile to his face. He decided to get out of the area for the time being, not wanting to see Levi so soon after an argument.

“Eren?”

The brunette jumped and whirled around quickly to come face to face with Armin. “Oh.. it’s just you,” he breathed.

Armin didn’t miss the relief that had painted his tone. “Did something happen?” he asked gently, not wanting to upset his friend.

“Uhh.. no.. nothing,” Eren replied in an unconvincing manner.

So, he didn’t want to talk about it. “Okay,” Armin conceded, “then do you want to come with me to the study hall?” He figured from his behavior that Eren probably just needed some time to cool down. Upon seeing intrigue light up those already bright eyes, he knew he had made the right decision. The blonde smiled, “Come on, then.”

The duo headed off to said hall, Eren sparing a glance over his shoulder as they left. 

He heaved a sigh as they rounded the corner, “So why are you going to the study hall?”

“Do I need an excuse to go and read books?” Armin asked with a mocking tone. 

They slipped quietly into the room and Armin collected a large stack of books. Eren sat down next to him and listened to the blonde as he enthused over topic after topic--battle strategies, animal behavior, the ocean, everything. Eren could listen to his friend ramble on for hours without tiring; he found it so relaxing.

"Eren?"

He lifted his head to look at his friend. "Hmm?"

"Are you feeling alright? You've looked a little green around the gills since you, umm, stomped out of Hanji's lab," Armin spoke cautiously.

"I look green?" Eren asked, a worried look on his face as he felt his own forehead.

"I-it's a term of phrase, Eren," Armin laughed. "I just mean to say you look...down."

The green-eyed teen frowned. "It's Levi," he admitted sourly.

Armin nodded quietly. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Eren sighed and shook his head. Armin looked a bit surprised as his friend stood from the study table they were seated at, and turned away. 

"N-no I--thanks for reading to me, Armin. I think I may just need to be alone for a bit. I'll see you later."

He began to walk toward the door but was stopped by a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned around.

Armin's blue eyes were filled with a sympathetic sadness as he spoke, "I'm here for you, Eren. Anytime. Just...let me know if you want to talk about anything, okay?"

Eren allowed a small smile to grace his lips before nodding to his friend and exiting the hall. He walked aimlessly down the halls of headquarters, unsure of where to go. He had too many friends, he decided, because every corridor he checked had someone there who would call out to him as he walked past. Was it such a crime to want to be alone for ten minutes?

As a last resort, he threw on his cloak and treked outside. It was a misty day, with thick patches of fog making the sky seem dreary. The scenery made him sad, but he'd rather that than have to face anyone right now--especially Levi.

He curled up against a tall oak tree, cape wrapped around him tightly, and cried. He couldn’t stop the tears that poured down his cheeks, he was just so.. hurt from his lover’s reaction.

Was it wrong of him to feel such an undying love for their child? He would love them, no matter what they looked like; no matter what they were. Did Levi not feel the same way as he did?

The thought only spurred on more tears. His mind was a whirr of various emotions, he found it difficult to process them. A headache began forming from it all. Then, from the depths of his being, emerged a strong longing that he hadn’t felt so completely in years… He wanted his mother.

Eren shook his head as broken sobs escaped him. She was gone, he knew she was; but he wanted so desperately for her to be there.. to comfort him and help him through the complicated situation he was in. He needed her guidance and wisdom.

A cold wind billowed past, sending shivers up and down his spine. He wiped in vain at his face. He hated that he cried over practically everything. It was so frustrating.

Something brushed against his arm.

He yelped and fell back, away from the touch, trying to escape whatever had come upon him. Eren wiped again at his eyes in order to see what it was.

There, sitting where he had just been, was a small kitten. It looked at him with its big eyes and let out a rather miserable mew.

His first instinct was to bring it under his cloak so as to keep it from the cold air. The only thing that was stopping him was the fact that it was a mess. The fur was matted down in certain areas, and then sticking out on end in others. Even one of its ears had a piece missing.

Eren sat up and extended a hand out towards it.

The small kitten backed away a bit in response, eyes not leaving his hand.

“Hey, hey,” he called quietly, so as not to further scare it, “it’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”

It stretched out its neck and sniffed cautiously. Apparently it deemed him safe enough as it reluctantly began to approach.

Eren broke out in a smile when its small head made contact with his fingers. Despite its scraggly appearance, the fur was very soft. He brushed his fingers along the top of its head, chuckling as it leaned in closer. “There we go,” he said, “told you I wouldn’t hurt you.”

The kitten mewed again, almost as if to reply to him.

He continued petting the small creature, eyes surveying the surrounding area as he did. “I wonder where your mother is, there’s no way you would be all on your own yet.” He saw nothing in the immediate vicinity. The sound of purring broke his concentration.

Eren smiled again, continuing his ministrations on the feline’s scalp. “You’re a good little kitten,” he murmured to it, as if it could understand him.

When another gust of wind billowed through the area, he decided to take the trust he had gained in the kitten to the next level. He scooped it up in his hands and brought it to rest against his chest, making sure to close his cloak back after he had. It mewed again from its new position and wriggled in his hold.

“It's alright, you’ll be warmer now,” he said matter of factly. He began stroking the unruly fur affectionately, looking around again in case the mother cat made herself known.

The odd thought struck him that perhaps the reason the kitten was alone was because its mother had died somehow. It was a miserable idea and it only succeeded in bringing back his previous sour mood. Tears once more stung the corner of his eyes.

“You  _ can’t  _ be alone in this world,” Eren whimpered, “not so young… you still need your mom.” The love of a mother was special and something that couldn’t be replicated.

He had learned the feeling of losing someone so precious as his mother at a young age; so he knew to cherish the time he had with his loved ones and accept everything as it was given. His mother may have had an odd way of showing it but he knew deep down that she had loved him. Despite his frustrating stubbornness and his constant habit to disobey her, she had loved him unconditionally. If there was anything she had left him to pass on, it was that ability to love someone no matter what. 

So even if Hanji’s theory came out to be correct and his child was some kind of titan and human hybrid, he would love them. It would still be his flesh and blood, and he would still strive to love them for as long as he could, because he knew the time he spent with them was fleeting.

Now if only he could get his lover to understand that.

The kitten had managed to wriggle its way up to his neck and was nuzzling against his cheek.

Eren smiled sadly, tears still lingering in his eyes.

Suddenly the tiny feline began meowing almost frantically. It was loud in his ears and he did his best to sooth the kitten.

But every time the desperate call went unanswered, his heart broke a little more. His tears were back, “I'm sorry… I'm so sorry you're alone.”

“ _ EREN!” _

He was startled by the loud cry of his name. It took him a moment to process that it was Hanji that had called to him.

“Eren! Where are you!?”

That was definitely Armin.

“Eren you better fucking answer us!”

He couldn’t stop a wave of fear as he heard his lover’s angry voice sound seemingly louder than the rest. He hadn’t even noticed how thick the fog had gotten until that moment. It was no wonder they had resorted to calling for him. How long had he been out there?

The kitten meowed again loudly. Eren pet it in a comforting manner, trying desperately not to cry anymore. The mother cat had yet to show up, he found it increasingly unlikely that she would.

“Eren?”

Was that Mikasa? How many people had emerged from the base to come look for him?  He pushed himself to his feet and almost immediately fell afterwards from dizziness. The brunette mentally scolded himself for continuously doing that. He stumbled a bit and clutched at the tree, being mindful of both his growing child and his feline friend.

“Eren!”

Suddenly there was the sound of several sets of feet coming towards him. He tried desperately to collect himself before they found him, practically willing his dizziness to fade.

Armin and Mikasa were the first to reach him.

“Eren are you okay?” the blonde asked with worry clearly written on his face.

Mikasa meanwhile hovered nearby.

“I’m fine,” he insisted, “just had another bout of dizziness.” The kitten mewed from its perch, rubbing against him and purring. A reluctant smile worked onto his face.

Hanji approached with concern painting her features, “Eren, what on earth got into you? You’ve been missing for two hours!”

The titan shifter blinked in surprise, “Two hours..?” He bit his lip nervously and chanced a look to his lover who was gazing back at him with a surprisingly level expression.

Levi’s eyes shifted just a bit and one of his elegant brows rose, “What the fuck is on your shoulder?”

Eren's green eyes filled with a dark fire. Was he really going to do this to him again? He reached around and plucked the mewling kitten off his shoulder and brought it close to his face.

" _ This,"  _ he spat, "is Cookie. And I'm keeping her because she's all alone in this world. Just like me and my baby, apparently."

Levi's eyes flashed dangerously, causing Eren to step back when he went to reach for him.

"Eren you can't keep that cat. It's mangy as hell and probably has fifty different diseases. Put it down and come the hell inside before you catch a fucking cold," Levi stated coldly, reaching again for Eren's hand.

The teen pulled back once again, "No."

" _ No? _ Excuse me?"

The air was painfully thick, and it wasn't from the fog. Those others in the search party stiffened as they sensed the ensuing battle between two of the most bullheaded people in the corps.

"Er, we'll give you two some privacy," Hanji quipped, grabbing both Mikasa and Armin by their collars and fleeing the scene in fear.

Neither Eren nor Levi even noticed their absence.

"That little mutt is probably going to fucking die anyway, brat, so just let it go. We can't fucking handle a cat right now," Levi pressed, body stiff and unapproachable.

Eren hugged Cookie the kitten closer and turned slightly away, "Too bad. Apparently we can't handle a baby either so I guess that means we're on our own, right baby?" He stroked the cat's ear and turned to walk away.

Levi snagged his shoulder and pulled him back roughly. " _ Eren _ !" he hissed.

"Don't touch me!" Eren yelled in frustration. He could feel tears working their way back to his eyes.

"Eren, won't you just listen to me for one damn second?!" 

He was being pulled on again, but Eren couldn't find the will to fight back.  Levi brought him close, hands like shackles on either of his arms, pinning him in place. He let out a strangled sob.

"You can't keep that kitten and you know it. We're already going to have a little brat running around and I don't want that filthy thing getting anyone sick," he turned Eren's chin back towards him when he tried to look away, "A baby is enough. Put the cat down."

"Well apparently I'm not allowed to have my baby, so yes! I can have this cat!"

" _ Stop being irrational!" _

_ "Stop being an emotionless asshole!" _

A gust of wind blew and Eren shivered despite himself.

"You need to stop stomping outside and freezing yourself," Levi continued in a softer voice. He loosened his grip on Eren's arms and instead pulled him closer to wrap him in his arms. Eren let out another choked cry.

"It has nowhere to go..." the younger said in a hushed tone.

"I know. But you can't save everyone, Eren, and we don't have the time for a sickly little cat."

"..."

"Eren...will you please listen to reason for once?"

"If it's about my baby then absolutely not."

Levi's arms went rigid before slowly relaxing again.

" _ Our _ baby. And I just don't understand why you think having a titan kid is okay after all the shit you face each day."

"What the hell does that mean?" Eren yelled back.

"Do you want your child to face the hatred you do everyday because you can turn into a titan?" Levi asked, gray eyes staring lostly into the foggy horizon.

"I-I...no but..." 

"If we end up having a titan child it will face all that and more, Eren. I don't want that and I know you don't either," Levi kissed his brow and pulled back to look at the kitten in his husband's clutches. He stroked its head gently, "You're treated like shit for no reason and I don't want our baby to face that too."

Eren was quiet. He looked down at his boots with a frown.

"Sooo..."

"Hmm?"

"The reason you wanted to get rid of it...was because you didn't want it to have an unhappy life?"

Levi nodded, eyes locked upon his.

"I-I'm sorry. I still don't think I could do it," Eren sniffed.

The older sighed and ruffled Eren's shaggy hair.

"FUCK!"

Eren jumped back in shock as his lover shouted out. 

"Levi?!"

"Fucking cat!"

Eren looked down in confusion, only to see a large, hissing cat prowling around the base of the tree. His eyes widened and he felt Cookie wriggling in his grasp, slipping out of his hands and scampering over to the other cat. Cookie rubbed up against the other cat, which Eren could only assume was its mother.

"Yeah there's no way you get to keep that fucking cat now," Levi grumbled, rubbing at his bitten ankle. 

"Her mom came back," Eren said, watching as the mother picked the kitten up by the scruff and began to groom its wild fur.

"She needs to take better care of that thing," Levi sneered, grabbing up Eren's hand to tug him away.

But Eren refused. Instead, he pulled Levi back and watched happily as the mother cleaned up her baby, purring and rubbing lovingly over its messy hair. 

"She's loves her. Even though she’s dirty and her fur is matted down and knotted together; even though she looks so mangy - she still loves her," Eren explained sweetly, resting his head on his lover's shoulder.

Levi said nothing.

"It's the same with our baby. No matter what it looks like, I'll love it."

"I'm sorry, Eren," Levi murmured.

"Hhm?"

"I was out of line. I shouldn't have yelled, and if there's something wrong with our baby..." he sighed, "We'll deal with it together."

Eren smiled to himself, burying his face into Levi's warm chest. He shivered against another brush of wind and huddled closer to his lover. Levi hugged him close, rubbing warmth into the younger's arms. 

"Let's go inside before we freeze to death," Levi ordered.

The teen nodded, swaying gently on his feet.

"Eren? Are you feeling okay?" Levi pulled back to look into his husband's eyes.

"I'm just a little t-tired. And my legs hurt," he hid his face further into Levi's cloak, embarrassed to say he didn't think he could walk back without falling over.

Thank god Levi seemed to understand. He held Eren's cold cheeks between his hands and made him lift his head.

"I'll carry you then," he said, low voice sending pleasant shivers through Eren's frozen nerves. 

He gave a little squeak as he was swept off his feet. Levi picked him up bridal style and began to trek off towards headquarters. The fog had started to fade again, leaving the air merely moist and misty. Eren squirmed in Levi's arms, trying to worm closer to his husband. 

Levi hissed a bit and pinched Eren's thigh. 

"Stop squirming, you little shit," he complained.

Eren giggled and tucked his head under the other's chin.

"Yes, Captain."

Levi huffed and continued walking. He kept his eyes on the building, glancing down at the brat in his possession every once in awhile. His aqua eyes were starting to droop, and before Levi knew it the teen had fallen asleep, snoring softly in his arms. 

He shook his head with a smirk.

As he walked into headquarters, Hanji bounded up to him excitedly, Armin and Mikasa in tow. 

"Hey!" she shouted, shrilly. "Did you guys figure things out?"

She took in Eren's slackened form.

"Woah, wait did you  _ kill _ him?!" 

Everyone looked to her with a scowl.

"We talked it out. He fell asleep when I brought him back in," Levi explained calmly.

"And the cat?" Mikasa asked.

"Its mother came back for it."

The group nodded in understanding.

"I'm going to take him up to bed now," he decided, sharing a swift moment of eye contact with Hanji as he did.

The scientist smiled, "I'll follow you up and make sure he hasn't frozen his fingers off."

They traveled upstairs in silence, and even stayed silent as Levi tucked his lover into bed. 

"Hanji."

"Yes, Captain Grumpy?"

Levi ignored her, "If it should get to the point..."

He straightened abruptly and looked her straight in the eye, straight into her soul.

"Levi?"

"Save him. If the baby is hurting  _ him _ then save  _ him _ not the baby. If it's in distress and it comes down to him or the baby, choose him. And don't tell him there was option to save the child."

Hanji stared at him with wide eyes.

"But Eren wouldn't wa--" she started, but Levi held up a hand to stop her.

"It doesn't matter what he wants. I know he would kill me if he heard this...but if the baby dies we can make another assumedly. He can't be replaced."

The scientist glanced down at the shifter sleeping soundly in the bed. She smiled sadly and looked back to her comrade.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Thank you."

"But," she stood from the edge of the bed, a determine look in her brown eyes, "I'll do everything I can to make sure it never gets to that."

Levi scoffed lightly, reaching out and sweeping a wisp of hair from Eren's eyes.

"Whatever, shitty glasses."

  
The woman smiled and slipped out the door. As she closed it behind her, she could see Levi leaning over to lay his head against Eren's stomach. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all!  
> Guess what? This chapter is like alllllllll fluff. So happy fun times for you guys!  
> Enjoy~

It had taken about a week for things to completely calm down after their little feud. Levi and Eren had finally agreed not to talk anymore about what their baby might come out as and instead focused on keeping to the positive side of things.

 

A new development that had arisen was the fact that Eren’s old clothes were no longer fitting as well, especially his pants. His shirt still had stretch to it for his growing belly but his pants would hardly button anymore. And thus began the step into a set with an elastic waist. They felt bizarre but much more accommodating than his old pants.

 

But of course, with the obvious added weight came a bit of insecurity. Eren wasn't used to it and worried that Levi would begin thinking him ugly when in fact it was the opposite. 

 

While he still loved the toned and lean form his lover usually had, Levi held a special adoration for his new pregnant body too. He supposed it had to do with the fact that their child was growing within that body, or perhaps it was the way Eren practically glowed when running his hands over his belly - whatever it was, he liked it just as much as he did the brunette’s usual physique. Reassuring Eren of that fact was something he devoted himself to doing nearly everyday.

 

Something else that had come up was the fact that Eren could no longer attend any kind of training, Hanji had practically forbidden it and Erwin had all too easily conceded to her wishes. Instead, he had been assigned cleaning duty practically everyday. The occasional cleaning job he could handle, but as he kept having to tidy and dust things he found himself hating it more and more.

 

Upon receiving his orders for cleaning duty that day, Eren was instantly in a poor mood.

 

“What the fuck is with you?” his spouse questioned as he buckled himself into his harness. He had immediately picked up on the displease the other was exhibiting.

 

“I have to clean the study hall today,” Eren muttered, “and I really don't want to.”

 

Levi wrinkled his nose, “Too bad brat, light duty doesn't mean off duty.”

 

“But they couldn't have had me groom and walk the horses? No I have to  _ clean _ ,” he grumbled in annoyance.

 

His lover rolled his eyes, “The sooner you start, the sooner you'll be finished.”

 

Eren glared at him half heartedly, “Stop being sensible and let me pout.”

 

The raven shrugged on his jacket and headed for the door, “Whatever. Clean it well, I have to inspect your work afterwards.”

 

Eren gaped at him, “So I have to clean things to  _ your  _ level?” The look he received said it all. He flopped back on the bed with a dramatic groan, “Dammit.”

 

“And don't worry about what you can't reach.”

 

He raised a brow, “Why not? I could use the ladd-”

 

“ _ No _ ,” came the protective growl, “no ladders.”

 

“Are you kidding me?!”

 

Levi crossed his arms, “No ladders.”

 

“How the hell am I supposed to clean things to your standards then?” He challenged.

 

“Someone else will clean those parts,” his senior replied levelly, “you just have to clean everything else.”

 

“This is going to take  _ forever. _ ”

 

“Exactly, so get your ass moving,” Levi said.

 

“Yeah you'd like that wouldn't you,” the titan shifter muttered as he very reluctantly got himself dressed.

 

He yelped when he got a swift swat on his ass. He glowered to his lover who had a satisfied smirk on his face as he left.

* * *

Eren eyed the tall bookcases with disdain. He heaved a sigh and slipped the bandana over his nose, deciding not to further delay the inevitable. He was completely shocked when his cloth came back covered in dust.

 

“What the hell,” he yelled, “does no one clean this shit?!” He let out an animalistic growl when he found the same was true for the next two shelves.

 

The few cadets that were in the hall left then, if nothing more than out of fear.

 

Eren kicked a nearby chair angrily. He didn't even pay any mind to the ache in his foot after, such was his irritation. Grudgingly, he set back to work; though his movements were much more aggressive.

 

It took him 45 minutes to finish the first bookshelf; or at least the parts he could reach.

 

By the time he had finished it, he was fuming. There was no way in hell he was going to finish the bookshelves, let alone the entire hall.

 

No one dared enter the room, lest they be confronted by the brooding male. Even Armin and Mikasa wisely stayed away, knowing better than to try and interact with Eren when he was in such a mood.

 

Eren slowly made his way through the shelves, growing more aggressive as he went. If the sheer lack of cleanliness was driving  _ him  _ up the wall, he didn't even want to imagine what his lover’s reaction would've been. Someone was clearly inadequate in the ways of dusting, or any kind of tidying for that matter.

 

As he lifted a few fallen books on the his current bookshelf, five black spiders scrambled from under them… right up his arm.

 

He screeched and flung his cloth away, shaking his arm frantically in a desperate attempt to shake off the arachnids. A few fell and he stomped them out of existence with a loud and effeminate shriek.

 

The last two clung to his arm and bandana respectively. He was quick to rip off his bandana and slam it into the bookshelf with a loud whipping sound. He felt only mildly satisfied when he spied the little body falling lifelessly to the ground.

 

Eren became more desperate as the last held on to the fabric of his shirt. “GET OFF,” he shouted, finally shaking it free from his arm. It scurried away before he had a chance to step on it.

 

The doors to the study hall burst open with a loud bang as Levi appeared in the doorway.

 

“Eren!?”

 

He gave a cry of relief upon the sight of his lover and surged forward into his arms.

 

Levi accepted him easily, trying to spot any signs of injury, “What the hell happened? What was all that noise?!”

 

“I-I was just cleaning and they just jumped out and I f-freaked out and tried t-”

 

“Hold on, hold on,” he interrupted, “who or what are 'they'?”

 

Eren looked at him with alarm, “S-Spiders!”

 

A look of realization lit up the Corporal’s face as he looked back at the smashed spiders on the ground. He couldn't help a chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

 

Eren could fight titans, face a courtroom full of people that wanted to kill him, and deal with the one and only Hanji Zoe; but God forbid he be faced with such an evil as  _ spiders. _

 

“Why are you laughing?” The younger asked with cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

 

“You’re an idiot,” Levi said with a hint of fondness showing in his gray eyes.

 

“They were crawling up my arm and trying to bite me,” he insisted.

 

“Apparently spiders tend to do that when you destroy their home,” the raven stated.

 

Eren scowled and pulled away, crossing his arms, “Asshole.”

 

“Only for you brat.”

 

“Oh gee, I feel  _ so  _ privileged,” he grouched with crossed arms.

 

Suddenly he was in Levi’s arms again and being bent backward. He squeaked in surprise, gazing up into gunmetal orbs in shock.

 

“ _ As you should.. _ ” Levi said so smoothly that it was practically a purr.

 

His heartbeat echoed dully in his ears as he was pulled back up. He swayed a bit with a blush enveloping his face.

 

His lover merely looked on with a pleased smirk.

 

“Now,” Levi said in a firm tone, “you need to go get cleaned up, seeing as you're utterly filthy.” His hands that had been placed possessively at Eren’s hip, slowly drifted lower. “Think you can handle that?” He asked with a sensual gleam in his eyes.

 

The brunette merely nodded mutely, not quite trusting himself to speak. He definitely let out an extremely feminine yelp when one of those strong hands lightly smacked his behind. He flushed a deeper red but gave his lover a coy smile, “Or maybe not… I may need some.. help.”

 

“Oh?” He let out a few puffs of air against the other’s sensitive neck.

 

“Won't you join me for a shower?” Eren breathed in a husky tone of voice.

 

“Mmm, but Hanji said no strenuous physical activity for you,” Levi murmured from his position at Eren’s neck.

 

He wrapped his arms around his spouse’s neck and smirked, “It's not strenuous if we’re just touching.”

 

Needless to say, his senior didn't need any more convincing.

 

It also went unsaid that when Levi emerged quickly from the study hall with an extremely pleased looking Eren latched onto him, there weren't too many questions asked.

 

Someone else finished cleaning the study hall that night.

* * *

The next day Eren awoke with a fierce headache. He didn't even attempt to rise from the bed because of his pain. He let out a long groan as he rolled onto his other side, hoping to escape the light that was peeking through the curtains.

 

“Did I wake you?” Came Levi’s call from somewhere nearby.

 

He shook his head, stopping shortly after as it only intensified the aching in his head. “N-Nooo, my headache did.”

 

There was an obvious frown in his voice, “Another one?”

 

“Unfortunately,” Eren grumbled in return, covering his eyes with his arm. The light was only aggravating his headache; actually everything seemed to only intensify the agony in his skull. “Oh god, just kill me,” he begged.

 

“Shut up, dumbass,” his lover snapped, albeit quietly.

 

Suddenly a cool cloth replaced his arm. He moaned at the relief it gave him, he reached blindly for the other’s hand. “I don’t know what deity sent you; but I am so glad they did, babe.”

 

Levi’s hand wrapped around his own, “Shitty glasses suggested this for whenever you get a migraine. I’ve also ordered for us to have thicker curtains to hopefully keep more light out.”

 

“Godsend,” the brunette declared weakly, “I love you.”

 

“And I you, now stop calling me that,” his spouse scolded.

 

“Hmm never.” His words were slurring a bit.

 

Thankfully, his senior seemed to understand, “Try and get more rest, brat. There’s nothing to be done today, so just relax.”

 

“Easier said than done,” Eren retorted tiredly, “you try sleeping when titans are stomping around in your head… not so easy. I would  _ love _ to sleep though… ugh.”

 

Levi snorted, “Hence why I said rest, not sleep. Apparently your hearing is affected too.”

 

“No I’m just not paying attention.”

 

He scoffed at that, “Good to know. I’ll come check on you in the next hour or so.”

 

The titan shifter waved slightly, “I’ll be here.”

 

“Thank you for clarifying, shithead. I wasn’t aware.”

 

“Hey! You be nice to your ailing lover, it’s not nice to be mean,” he called, waving his index finger like a scolding parent.

 

“Well now he’s just being redundant,” another voice commented.

 

Eren was a bit surprised, “Wait is that Hanji?” He lifted the cool cloth from his eyes to see.

 

“Welcome to my life,” Levi sneered, “you get something to help him, shitty glasses.”

 

“Yes, Captain Grouch-Ass,” she teased as he left. Her excited gaze then turned to the titan shifter, “Hello my little titan!”

 

He winced at her volume, “Hi Hanji, can you talk a bit quieter please?”

 

The woman slapped a hand over her mouth dramatically, “My bad.”

 

He offered her a patient smile, “It’s alright… Got any miracle remedies for these awful headaches?”

 

Hanji hummed and put a hand to her chin in thought, “Well…. I may have one idea, but I want you to agree that you won’t get mad.”

 

“I’m too tired to,” he answered truthfully, “I just want to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.”

 

She shrugged, “If you insist.”

 

It wasn’t seconds later when he felt a pinch on his neck and consciousness left him.

 

“Whoa, that worked a whole lot better than I thought,” Hanji observed aloud. She chuckled nervously, “Guess I’ll just tell Levi he fell asleep..” She shifted the pregnant man a bit so that he was more comfortable on the bed and pulled a blanket over him. 

 

She gave a motherly smile as she watched him rest, “Sleep well, my little titan.” Hanji left quietly after that, intent on finding some kind of remedy that could aid Eren when his migraines struck without endangering the child he carried.

* * *

Eren awoke several hours later to a hand running through his hair. He opened his eyes blearily to find his spouse sitting beside him on the bed. “Levi…?”

 

“You’re awake,” the man replied, looking down at him.

 

“Hmmmm that sleep helped,” he mumbled sleepily, huddling into his lover’s warmth.

 

“I don’t know what shitty glasses did to help but I suppose it worked,” Levi muttered.

 

The brunette shook his head slowly, “Mmm dunno, all I felt was a pinch and then I was sleeping.” He grunted when his lover tensed, “It wasn’t a needle type pinch, Levi, calm down.”

 

“Even so, I’m going to figure out what the fuck she did to you,” he growled.

 

“Ughhh forget I said anything,” he sighed, “just calm down and lay with me. Let’s forget everything for awhile.”

 

Levi scoffed in reply, “I’m not going to let that bitch get out of trouble because you don’t want her to be.”

 

“Her name is Hanji, babe.”

 

“Not right now,” he grumbled, “and stop calling me that.”

 

Eren merely smiled, running a hand over his belly in a subconscious manner.

 

His superior’s eyes were drawn to the motion. He said nothing as he gently pushed his partner away and stood up from his position.

 

“Levi?” Curiosity painted the younger’s tone.

 

Levi began to push up the long shirt his lover had on, pausing only when a hand reached to stop him.

 

“Don't,” Eren said with flushed cheeks, “..it looks weird.”

 

He wanted to roll his eyes, “It won't bother me, I just want to see how the baby is growing.” He waited until the brunette relaxed a bit and moved his hand. With gentle motions, he pushed the shirt to expose the growing belly of his love.

 

He supposed it was odd - seeing the distinctive baby bump on a man. And yet, he couldn't help but think of how beautiful Eren looked. Levi allowed a small smile to show, in hopes it would further relax the other; it did.

 

“You're beautiful Eren,” he murmured as he leaned forward and planted a kiss on that stomach. Levi didn't need to look in order to know Eren was blushing, he could practically feel the heat radiating from him.

 

“You're weird,” the younger said in a mock pout, arms crossed over his protruding middle.

 

Levi smirked up at him, “You love it.”

 

The blush tinted his cheeks a lovely shade of pink, “O-Oh yeah? Well.. You love me!”

 

“I do, but that was obvious given current circumstances.”

 

Eren hid his face with an embarrassed whine, “Leviiii!”

 

His only response was a deep chuckle.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when we said it would be a rollercoaster ride?  
> Well...last chapter was up, and now we're going DOWN.  
> Enjoy the super duper drama~!

Levi awoke suddenly and peered around. The room was still dark, but it was mostly because of the thicker curtains that had been put up, much to Eren’s pleasure. It was still disorienting for the older male. He chanced a look over at the younger, pleased to find him sleeping soundly.

 

He rose stiffly from the bed, pulling the curtains back a tad to look out the window. The first light of dawn was on the horizon - it seemed his internal clock was unaffected by the change in lighting.

 

Per his usual routine, he showered and then dressed himself in a fresh uniform and clicked his belts into place. Before he left, he made sure to plant a soft kiss on his brat’s lips, knowing he would be in trouble if he did not. How strange that such a trivial thing had become habitual.

 

His hand lingered for a moment on the brunette's growing stomach, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards as he was met with the fluttery movements from his child.

 

Upon exiting the room, he was immediately approached by the one and only Hanji Zoë. He glowered at her, “What the hell did you do to make him sleep yesterday?”

 

She looked surprised and then embarrassed, “W-Well since I didn't have an actual remedy ready yet, I decided to see if pinching the nerve would work.” Hanji chuckled nervously, “And suprise! It worked…. You're welcome?”

 

Levi continued towards the kitchen silently, still very much pissed off at his comrade. “Why are you still following me?”

 

The brunette was practically skipping beside him, “Well to let you know that I might be on the verge of making a remedy that will help my little titan out without putting the baby at risk!”

 

“Then make why are you following me rather than working on it?” He muttered.

 

“Well I've been up all night,” she commented lightly, “and I need something to wake me up so I can continue working!”

 

The short Corporal then elected to ignore the unnaturally boisterous woman as he got his tea and retreated to his office. 

 

Eren strode into the office in mere seconds with a pout on his lips, “You didn't kiss me before you left.”

 

Levi paused and looked up at him, “Yes I did, you were just too asleep to notice.”

 

The brunette continued to pout, “Then you should've woken me up so I knew. I like those kisses.”

 

“Fine.. I will next time,” he conceded easily, secretly afraid of what fate he might suffer should he not. The Corporal moved to continue working but noticed that the younger had yet to move from his position.

 

“Eren?”

 

He shuffled a bit, “...Can I have another one..?”

 

Levi could only smirk in response, “That needy, huh?”

 

Red dusted the shifter’s cheeks, “N-No I just want a good morning kiss from you is that so much to- oh!” He had stopped and placed his hands on his belly.

 

A twinge of fear worked down the raven’s back. He was quick to get up and go to his lover, “Eren? What's wrong?” His gray eyes looked him over with scrutiny, trying to figure out what had occurred. He prodded again, “Eren w-”

 

Eren hummed happily while shaking his head.

 

He was going to respond when he noticed the pleased smile that was blooming on his brat’s face. Eren carefully guided one of his hands to rest against his stomach, looking at him with affection swimming in his cerulean depths.

 

Levi again went to speak but fell short when he felt a flutter beneath his fingertips. He couldn’t stop a light smirk, “Kicking again? I suppose that’s just as good an indicator as any that our brat will be strong.”

 

“The baby is almost always kicking,” his spouse remarked, “really does a number on my bladder.”

 

“Is that where you’re always running off to?”

 

The titan shifter flushed with embarrassment, “..Not my fault.”

* * *

Eren flopped back onto his bed in utter exhaustion. Seriously, this lack of energy was getting obnoxious. He would get up, eat breakfast, mess around and annoy Levi in his office, maybe clean a few windows, and be ready for bed--often before lunch time even came around. 

 

The green-eyed teen shimmied up underneath his warm covers, curling into a comfortable little ball with the blankets under his chin. He frowned, realizing he had forgotten to tell Levi that he was going up to take a cat nap. He sighed. It was around his normal napping time anyway, not like it mattered that much; Captain would figure it out no problem. 

 

He wiggled sleepily in his bed. There was an unusual sound that came from somewhere in the room. Eren’s tired mind almost shrugged it off when it came again. He let out a small groan and lifted his head, peering blearily into the darkened room. Mentally, he thanked his raven haired lover again for having gotten thicker curtains so he could sleep at any time of the day.

 

The noise came once again and prompted more of his attention. “..Mmm Levi..?” The sound of footsteps cut off suddenly and he knew it wasn’t his Corporal. He huffed and sat up slowly, focusing his gaze into the corner of the room. He could just barely make out a figure crouched by the bedroom door.

 

“Who’s there?” he questioned, figuring it to be one of his friends playing a trick.

 

The figure stood quietly and crept closer to the bed, “You needn't know, Eren Jaeger.”

 

A chill went down his spine as he backed away slowly across the bed. “Too bad I wasn't asking, tell me who you are or I'll call for my superiors.” Fear was beginning to well in the pit of his stomach, not so much for himself but the baby he carried.

 

“Again I say that you needn't know,” the man stated levelly, “you need only know that my intent is to kill you and your abomination.” He drew a sword and pointed it at him, “That is all.”

 

Eren stood from the bed on the opposite side, trying to keep distance between them, “Guess you'll have to come get me first,” he goaded a bit. Levi had gotten into a habit of checking on him every hour and Eren knew it wouldn't be long until the next check in.

 

He let out a yelp of pain when a burning sensation originated from his cheek. He immediately stuck a hand to the bleeding wound, glaring at the other harshly. The man was quick, he would give him that. “You'll regret that,” he growled.

 

Pregnant or not, his reflexes from his training remained. Eren threw a candle holder at the man, nailing him in the head. He used the momentary distraction to get himself closer to the door.

 

What he wasn't expecting was for the man to throw it right back at him. He cried out as it hit the back of his head, near the nape of his neck. It stunned him just long enough for his legs to give out. He thrust his arms out in front of him so as not to land on his stomach. A low groan escaped him.

 

The man strode forward and yanked the brunette back by his hair, smiling at the sounds of pain. “Don't worry, Jaeger, soon you won't feel anything.”

 

Eren grit his teeth and desperately tried to think of something else to do. He needed more time. He glowered up at the other as he appeared in front of him.

 

“I hate that look on your face.” He swiftly swung a fist at the boy’s face, his other hand having taken up residence yanking on his scalp.

 

Both of the shifter’s hands went to his stomach protectively. He did his best to ignore the growing headache from his scalp being pulled and the hard hits to his face. He was more concerned about an unexpected kick to his abdomen.

 

The hits stopped momentarily and the hand left his hair.

 

Eren sucked in a breath and coughed out the blood that had gathered in his mouth. He glanced up at the military man before him and caught sight of the patch on his jacket. “Y-You're from the Military Police,” he realized in rising distress.

 

“So I am,” the man confirmed, “and I've been given the mission of eliminating your useless hide and that of your monster’s. Soon you will be dead, Jaeger!”

 

“My name is Eren  _ ACKERMAN _ ,” he spat, hand finding the brass candle holder once more. If his memory served him well, there was a sharp tip where one was supposed to mount the candle. Eren growled and swung it forward and connected with the man’s boot.

 

The resounding shout of pain made him smirk--seems he was right.

 

It took the man only a moment to collect himself. He glared in a harsh way that was reminiscent of Levi and then kicked Eren in the face.

 

It was enough to knock the younger out for a few seconds. He lay on the ground in a daze, one of his hands instinctively covering his baby bump.

 

His hand was ripped away and slammed flat on the floor. He saw the man’s sword come down and realized his intent. Although it took the pain awhile to settle in - his hand had been stabbed into the floor.

 

A scream rippled through him as he put his other hand to his stomach.

 

“Face it Jaeger,” the man sneered as he ripped away the other hand, “nothing is going to stop me from killing this  _ thing _ .”

 

Eren’s green eyes were daggers as they glared up at his attacker. A boot stepped on his other wrist and he realized that he was completely open for an attack. The blood drained from his face.

 

“N-No you can't..!”

 

A wicked chuckle left the man as he raised a second blade over the protruding stomach of his victim.

 

“N-NO PLEASE!! DON'T DO THIS!”

 

Fear had petrified him. The sight of the blade hovering dangerously over his child had his heart racing in his chest. Tears streamed down his face as his breathing reached hyperventilation levels. “N-No…” He choked desperately, “No! NO!! LEVI HELP ME!”

 

“No one can help you now, monster.”

 

Eren sobbed brokenly as he began to accept his fate. But then suddenly the weight on his wrist was gone. He blinked away some of his tears and sat up quickly. Adrenaline pumped through him as he yanked the sword out of his hand.

 

The sounds of a fight scared him away to hide behind the bed, the fear of losing his child still very fresh in his mind. He curled up on himself, creating a human shield for his stomach.

 

Some of his energy faded and left him feeling weak and emotional. He weeped to himself, hoping that whoever had come was on his side.

 

His injured hand ached and was still bleeding but he couldn't find it in himself to uncurl from his position. He was afraid. The only thoughts that occupied his mind were of the many things he could do to protect his baby.

 

A hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder and he shrieked.

 

“NO! GO AWAY! PLEASE!!!”

 

“ _ Eren _ .”

 

The firm tone gave him pause. He  _ knew  _ that voice. He turned a bit to look, relief settling into his bones at the sight of his lover. “L-Levi!”

 

The raven caught him readily as he fell into his chest. His gray eyes were narrowed dangerously. He was thankful that for the moment, Eren had missed the blood on his uniform. “Breathe Eren,” he murmured, “and calm down, the stress isn't good for the baby.”

 

“Levi?! What the hell happened?”

 

He turned his head to behold Hanji and Moblit standing in the doorway, wearing matching looks of shock.

 

“That shitfuck attacked Eren,” he spat, “get someone to get his body out of here and clean up the mess he left behind.”

 

“Y-You killed him?” Moblit’s eyes had gone wide.

 

“Fucker didn't stand a chance,” he muttered.

 

Hanji approached warily, “Is Eren okay?”

 

Levi’s gaze then shifted to his sobbing mess of a lover. “I don't know,” he admitted, “he won't calm down enough for me to check. He's got to have some kind of injury.”

 

In a soft voice, the woman addressed the distraught brunette. “Eren, we need to check you for injuries, is that okay?”

 

The teen only nodded semi-coherently.

 

Levi relinquished his hold a bit so that he and Hanji could get a better look at his brat. The evident damage made him want to kick the corpse laying on the other side of the room.

 

“I'll get some wrappings,” Hanji said quickly.

 

He ignored her when his eyes took in Eren’s left hand. The short Corporal reached for it carefully, pulling it away from his lover's chest to look at it more fully.

 

A strike of confusion hit him when he realized none of it seemed to be healing.

 

The brunette researcher reappeared at his side with various salves and bandages in her arms. “Damn that's a bad one… Did that bastard stab his hand or something?”

 

“Looks that way,” Levi grit out. He spared his companion a glance, “Why isn't he healing?”

 

“I think his healing abilities have been taken up protecting the baby,” she replied as she worked on wrapping the hand, “that or they have been halted due to the imbalance in his system.”

 

He took a cloth and wiped the blood around the brunette’s mouth, being gentle given the bruising he had. His eyes narrowed when Eren shied away from his touch. “I'm not going to hurt you, brat,” he whispered.

 

The younger didn't reply but he did lean back into Levi’s chest, hiding away from the world.

 

“Did he hit your stomach at all?” Hanji asked when she had finished his hand.

 

He shook his head wordlessly but did work a hand around his growing belly subconsciously. “N-No… He just threatened to…. I thought we were going to die….” Suddenly he was crying again, huddling further into the familiar warmth that was his lover.

 

The thought that something more could have happened had he not arrived in time taunted Levi. He wrapped his arms around the other's shaking frame, “I'm.. sorry Eren. This never should've happened.”

 

“How the hell did he even get in?”

 

“I don't fucking know - but he's dead so he can't do shit now,” Levi growled protectively.

 

Eren continued to tremble in the older man's hold. “Let's go to a different room tonight…I c-can't be in here after-”

 

“I know, you don't have to say anymore.”

 

He nodded shakily and buried his head in his lover's chest.

 

“Take my room for the night,” Hanji suggested. “It's close by and freshly cleaned. I'll get things cleaned up in here and use this room tonight. Then we can trade back tomorrow.”

 

The short Corporal didn’t wait to hear more, instead he hefted his love into his arms and started towards the door. He suddenly remembered the beating the other had received and cursed, “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

 

“N-No,” the younger replied quietly.

 

It was concerning to see his normally hard headed and confident brat turned into this alternate persona. Shyness was normal, Eren was young and embarrassed about certain things... But frightened and nervous definitely didn’t fit his character.

 

Levi set him down on the bed gently and lifted his chin to stare directly into his eyes, “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

 

Tears filled his gaze, “B-But there might be others…”

 

“And I’ll just take care of them too,” he replied confidently, “no one is getting to you on my watch.”

 

Eren leapt to his feet, “Don’t you see?! Someone already did! You can’t say things like that! Especially when they aren’t true…” He sagged and fell back onto the bed, “I’m nothing but t-trouble for you..”

 

Gray orbs rolled, "Tch, what the hell are you saying brat? You may be a shitty cleaner, a heap of trouble, and an emotional trainwreck...”

 

The teen covered his face in shame.

 

Levi grasped for his hands, “But...you're mine. You’re annoying and incredibly stupid at times--biggest dumbass ever really--but I guess I can put up with all that. And I'll never let anyone take you from me.”

 

Eren gave a shaky and wet laugh as he huddled into the other man’s chest again.

 

“Because if you’ve learned anything about me in our time together, it’s that I'm possessive as fuck,” he continued, “so if some bitch threatens that which is  _ mine _ , I’m quick to deal with them.”

 

“Guess I’m a possession now, huh?”

 

“No, just my shitty partner who went behind my back and got himself knocked up.”

 

He blushed, “Well… when you put it like  _ that… _ ”

 

“How else am I supposed to put it?”

 

The brunette was quiet a moment before shaking his head, “You know what? Never mind… And thanks for cheering me up, Levi.”

 

“What the fuck are you talking about, brat?”

 

“Hmm nothing I suppose. Love you too, though.”

  
“Tch.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaannd here's another chapter! Enjoy~

The events from the night before had already blurred themselves in his mind. Eren didn’t remember going to Hanji’s room last night, but it was obvious that he and Levi had migrated there after the incident, seeing as though he had woken up in a strange space. He stretched warily, his hand sparking in pain as he popped his fingers. 

It all came back very quickly. The attacker, the gouge in his hand, the cuts and bruises, the blood on Levi’s uniform, his baby in danger; why couldn’t it all have just disappeared in his sleep? The thought brought tears to his eyes. He let out a little choked sob, curling into himself.

There was a hum from behind him, making Eren jump in fear as a pair of hands wrapped around his waist. Levi pulled him closer, tucking close to his husband’s warmth in the bed. The pregnant teen seemed tense, his shoulders rigid and shaking slightly. The older wondered if he was having a nightmare. 

“Eren…?” he called quietly.

The boy tensed again in his arms before slumping against him and burrowing into his hold. Levi’s hands found his stomach and rubbed gentle circles into the fabric covering the bump there. There was a warm breath ghosting past Eren’s ear as Levi leaned in to kiss his neck lovingly. The sweet attention made his heart giddy, but the light ache from the bruises on his face tainted the feeling. He whimpered a bit as his lover’s lips trailed to his cheek. 

“S-stop,” Eren choked out, his body trembling again at the thought of that man trying to kill his baby.

Levi grunted with a bit of surprise, lips drawing away from him, “Eren what’s wrong?”

He turned his husband to face him, a bit shocked to see tears in his bright eyes. Eren immediately turned his head down into Levi’s chest.

“Eren, did I hurt you? I’ll stop touching you if it--”

“N-no!” he grabbed Levi’s nightshirt in his hands, balling it in his fists. “I-I don’t know why...I just can’t get that man out of my head. I don’t want our baby to g-get hurt,” he sniffled.

Levi placed his hand in Eren’s hair, bringing his lover’s head closer to his chest and placing a kiss on the crown of his chocolatey locks. 

“I’ll kill anyone that dares to touch you,” he murmured into his hair.  

Eren sniffled a bit and nodded. Levi was strong, but even he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t be attacked again. Vengeance was all he could really promise him. 

“I know you will, Levi.”

* * *

Eren lay against the bed, fighting sleep. He was trying to wait for Levi to return but it was proving difficult. He had something or other to attend to under Erwin’s orders. Eren hadn’t really been paying attention.

And so he lay there as his eyelids kept sliding closed - it was becoming harder and harder to reopen them. Eventually he lost the fight and fell asleep.

* * *

_ The air was hot and heavy around him, threatening to swallow him. He gasped and panted fiercely in the heat. Why was it so hot? _

_ He cracked his eyes open to find himself in a rather plain room. A ripple of intense pain coursed through him, making him moan loudly at the sheer agony of it. He looked around deliriously, desperately trying to find his raven haired lover. _

_ “L-Le-Levi - AUGH!!!” He writhed on the bed, the pain continuously going through him. His eyes closed for only a moment and when he reopened them, Hanji and Levi were hovering over him with concern written on their faces. _

_ Sweat was pouring from his forehead as he screeched from the pain. “What's happening!?” _

_ “He's losing the baby,” Hanji cried, “I'm so sorry Eren… We'll have to extract it. I need a doctor to help me.” _

_ Tears flooded his eyes, “N-No please! We ca- AUGH!!” He fell back against the bed sobbing. _

_ Levi’s hand found his, squeezing tightly. “Eren we have to get it out, it'll kill you if we don't. You did your best, but it didn't work.” _

_ He cried and cried, the waves of pain still rippling through him. He had failed his baby.. He had failed Levi. _

_ He could feel the incisions being made and he screamed at the agony of it on top of the other pain he felt. He kicked and writhed desperately. “NOOO-” _

* * *

“-OOOO!” He shot up in bed and looked around frantically, hands immediately going to his stomach. He was gasping, face covered with sweat and tears - he was a mess. Eren shook with fear, semi consciously awaiting the next ripple of pain he had felt in the dream.

“EREN!?”

The brunette leaped in surprise, instinctively backing away slightly.

Levi stood in the doorway, looking as though he had kicked the door open. His eyes were sharp as he surveyed the room, trying to find any signs of an intruder. His cool gaze then went to his lover and softened as they took in his disheveled state. “Eren…”

He broke into heart wrenching sobs at that. The emotions he had felt in his dream had been very real and they had exhausted him. The feeling of a warm body enveloping him settled his near-frantic breathing a bit. He turned and huddled his face in the other's shirt, latching onto him tightly.

“Nightmare?” the older male asked in a soft tone of voice, knowing how delicate the other was after one. He only received a shaky nod in response.

Eren stayed relatively silent safe for his quiet sobs. His body still shook with fear and the rush of emotion that had hit him. One of his hands was constantly on his belly, a reminder that it all was a dream.

“Would talking about it help?” Levi asked eventually, feeling as though his lover had calmed somewhat. Despite the numerous times his spouse had nightmares, he still wasn't sure what the best way to approach them was.

“N-No… I just want to forget…” he whimpered in response. Eren seemed to be considering something. “I… I don't want to lose the baby, Levi.”

“And you're not going to,” came the gentle reply, “Hanji may be a shithead but she's a smart one. She'll help us through this.” The older male knew he needed to take the situation delicately given the frayed emotions his lover was exhibiting. He definitely didn’t need the boy to become any more distressed.

“B-But what if someone else comes after us?” he questioned, voice thick with tears. “One failed a-attempt isn’t going to stop them…”

“No,” Levi reluctantly conceded, “but having the entirety of the Survey Corps on high alert, ready to strike down suspicious intruders might.”

“EVEN THEN,” Eren despaired, shaking his head. “Even then they’d come… after the baby is born… they’ll never stop. T-They will only be satisfied with our deaths..” He shuddered and hid his face in his hands, shoulders shaking.

It occurred to the senior officer then how deeply his spouse had been affected by everything. He frowned, trying to think of how to combat the feelings that were tearing the other apart at the seams. Every step had to be lightly taken, he knew that if he said the wrong thing, Eren might very well suffer a breakdown.

Hanji’s warning of his lover suffering too much stress echoed dully in his mind. It wouldn't only affect Eren but the baby as well.  But what could he say?

“Maybe I shouldn't even have this baby….”

The subtle whisper was probably not meant be heard by him, but it was. Levi had not seen the boy ever reach such a point where he was questioning himself in such a way.

He made himself respond, “Why?”

Eren sent him a look full of turmoil, “What do you mean why?! You were right! This baby will be made to suffer and be subject to ridicule and torment because of what it may be and who I am! They'll always be hunting our baby down because of that.. And if that's the life it would be born into, I don't want to have it!”

The raven was quiet a moment before taking Eren’s uninjured hand. “You have defended your ideals about this child since the beginning and now you would bow your head and say I'm right?” He shook his head, “I won't let you, brat. Not when we’ve come so far.”

His shoulders slumped, “T-Then what is the right choice..? I don't know anymore.”

Again, the younger’s words gave him pause. They certainly had a unique and odd scenario on their hands. There were many arguments that could be made either way as to what the “right” choice was concerning the matter. 

One might argue that with their world as it was, with the people constantly after Eren for being a shifter, that they should spare the child from having to deal with such a thing. It was a harsh life they lived, it certainly wasn't the ideal life for such an innocent being. Especially when it wouldn't know what it had done wrong to deserve such treatment.

And yet, was it not considered fair that some happiness be brought into their lives? Eren and Levi were always losing people, so why not allow them to gain something for once? Why not allow them the happiness that came with a new life? Eren could not control who or what he was, the choice had been made for him. So why should he have to continuously deal with the consequences? Why couldn't they be happy?

It was then that Levi found his answer: “People be damned, our world be damned; if I have the chance to have a little family of my own I'm not going to let it get by me.” He met those brilliant eyes with newfound confidence, “I had never imagined myself becoming a father, let alone a husband. If the right choice is to abandon this… happiness that I've found, then I will gladly forsake this world.”

Eren blinked back tears, “L-Levi…”

“Fuck everything else, Eren. What do  _ you _ feel is right?”

He was caught by surprise by the question. The whole time he had practically preached the fact that this child deserved its own chance at life. Was he so easily going to give up on that? He knew he wasn't.

A weak smile appeared, “Thanks...babe.”

Levi’s nose wrinkled at the nickname, “Godammit Eren, you're not going to let that nickname go, are you?” He couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction that emerged when that small smile turned into a playful smirk.

* * *

The few injuries Eren had gotten from his attacker continued to heal at a snail’s pace, proving Hanji’s theory that his healing abilities had either been halted or were taken up by his growing baby. And though Eren tried to hide it, Levi saw how he flinched every time he looked at his reflection and saw the bruises. The older male hated that he couldn’t protect his lover from the battle his mind was waging.

Each night was filled with nightmares, sometimes one and sometimes several. The titan shifter just couldn’t sleep with his recurring dreams that haunted him. Deep bags had taken up residence under his eyes.

Luckily where Eren lacked in sleep, he made up for in appetite. His jaw would hurt him every once in awhile but otherwise he was eating normally - well normal for his increased appetite.

Security was increased throughout the entire base and Erwin had set about a new policy which made it much more difficult for unfamiliar persons to get on base. Hanji had done a few trial runs and helped fix the policy specifics to make the whole ordeal more sound.

Eren had seemingly fallen into a schedule of sorts, but barely left the room anymore. Levi wasn’t entirely sure if it was because he was so exhausted mentally and physically, if he was afraid to, or if he simply had no wish to leave their quarters. Mikasa and Armin had tried a few times to sit and speak with him but usually were asked politely to go after just a bit.

After one such visit from his adopted sister, the brunette decided to try and rest himself. The nights without any kind of healthy sleep was really draining him. Before he settled down on the bed, he got up and locked the door to the bedroom, knowing that Levi had his own key to the door and would unlock it when he came to check on him.

Eren rolled back and forth for a solid half hour before finally his exhausted mind calmed enough for him to relax fully on the bed and thus into the clutches of sleep.

* * *

Eren woke from his slumber suddenly, though took a moment for his sleep riddled mind to figure out why.

It wasn't a noise that woke him but the severe lack thereof. No sounds came creeping in from the outdoors, no soft breathing from his lover, no footsteps from the hall. Nothing.

He peered to the empty bedside warily. Levi wasn't even there yet. The absence of any noise was unsettling. “Levi…?”

The expanse of silence seemed to mock him as his call echoed just so.

The brunette stood and quickly looked in the bathroom for any signs of his spouse, only to find nothing - not even their towels. The room was devoid of any indication that anyone had been using it.

A roll of anxiety hit his gut as he decided to further his search. The silence was beginning to eat at him; it was unnaturally quiet.

“Levi?” He called again, looking down the hall nervously.

Nothing.

Eren took a shuddery breath and decided to go to Hanji’s room, surely she would be in. He knocked on her door, “Hanji? Can I come in?”

His only response was the same eerie quiet that had enveloped the whole area. Fear was beginning to churn his gut. He opened the door and let out an audible gasp.

Normally her room was a disaster zone with documents and other odds and ends flung haphazardly over her desk and chair… But now there was just a frightening emptiness to the room.

“H-Hanji??” Eren crept further into the room, finding things in a similar state as the Corporal’s room.

He frowned, “I'm sure she's in her lab… Or the mess hall. Yeah I'll check there. Maybe Levi is with her.”

His journey continued down the large expanse of halls that was the Survey Corps headquarters. Every so often he would peek in a room and find it devoid of any signs of life. The only sound was that of his faintly thudding heartbeat in his ears.

The mess hall was empty.

Eren’s breathing began to pick up as he searched the whole room - even the kitchen. There was nothing. No plates or utensils, no fresh vegetables or fruit, no pots or pans; it was all gone. Even the walls were barren of any murals or hangings.

“LEVI!? HANJI!”

The absence of sound left him shaking. No one was there, not even so much as a whisper heard.

He fell to his knees in mild shock. They  _ had  _ to be somewhere - not everyone was gone. It wasn't possible.

But what if they weren't? What if everyone was gone and had left him? What if he was truly alone?

“No…” He murmured, getting back up and quickly going to Hanji’s lab. They  _ had  _ to be there! Eren hastened himself to the point of running, fear urging him onward. He didn't bother knocking as he reached the door

The stagnant air within the room forced a cough from him. He peered around desperately in the darkness, muttering for his eyes to adjust.

“Hanji? Levi?”

His voice reverberated through the room, sending a chill down his spine. No response came. And when his eyes finally adjusted, he was shocked to find the room empty.

Eren collapsed to his hands and knees, breathing picking up. Tears began stinging at the corner of his eyes.

They were gone… Everyone was  _ gone. _ And they had left him behind.

_ I don't want to be alone. _

It was perhaps one of his deepest rooted fears - to be left alone and forgotten. He had always had someone; his mother, Mikasa, Armin, Levi… He had never truly been alone.

Until now.

“ _ I don't want to be alone,”  _ he whispered with rising anxiety.

The walls were silent, the birds had gone, his comrades had abandoned him.

He pushed himself back to his feet, refusing to believe the situation that was being presented to him. It was impossible that all could have vanished within a night without him hearing anything. Eren wiped the tears from his eyes, “Armin! Mikasa!”

Just as before, his cries went unanswered. He began going into every room, desperation crawling up from his stomach. His tears continued to fall as every door that opened revealed nothing but more emptiness.

“P-Please no…”

The entire base seemed to echo his plea.

He was wheezing by then, heart and lungs aching painfully in his chest. The brunette continued to stumble along - even as the base fell dark with the waning sunlight. His shaking legs could support him no more.

Eren slid down the wall, the despair he felt seemed to surround him. The air was still deathly quiet, one would be able to hear a pin drop.

“I don't want to be alone,” he sobbed into his hands, never minding the ache in his hand where it had been stabbed. One of his palms went to his stomach, waiting for a kick from the baby within.

Several minutes went by with no movement, not even a flutter. Dread coiled in his gut at the lack of motion. Surely the baby would've kicked at least once by then!

The terrible thoughts of why his baby wasn't kicking invaded his mind and tore him apart. He waited for what felt like an eternity as sorrow twisted his heartstrings in a vice-like grip. He had failed his baby. No signs of life, no movement whatsoever.

Eren had never felt so alone. He huddled into himself, desperation taking hold of him fully. “N-No..! Please…. I don't want to be alone,” he sobbed into his hands.

A pressure on his shoulders made him look up, right into the eyes of his beloved. He audibly gasped at the sight.

Levi’s brow was furrowed as he spoke, “Are you back with me, brat?”

He couldn't find words as he realized he was sitting up in bed, back in their bedroom. Had it been a dream, then? One of his hands trailed to his enlarged stomach, trembling slightly as he waited silently.

There, a short but firm kick against his hand.

Eren melted into relieved crying, surging forward into his husband’s waiting grasp. “I-It was a dream,” he blubbered, “it wasn't real.”

Levi frowned at his response, “Another nightmare?”

A nod was all the brunette could manage amidst his fit. He grasped tightly at one of the other’s hands, a reassurance that everything had merely been a dream.

“I need to talk about something,” Eren pleaded, “I-I… I don’t want silence.. just talk about  _ something _ …”

He quickly tried to think of something, noting the desperate undertone his lover’s voice carried. 

“What names have you thought about for our baby?” his lover asked suddenly.

“I.. haven't really,” Levi admitted.

“I like Hadley for a girl,” he rambled, “maybe… Farlan or something for a boy.”

The thought was unexpected, he really hadn’t even thought of the possibility to name his child after his fallen family. “..Hadley Isabel doesn’t sound so bad,” he mumbled.

An uncertain smile came to his face, “Hadley Isabel for a girl? I like it... What about a boy’s name?”

He was clearly stalling, “Don’t you think it’s too early to be deciding such things?”

“Never,” he declared. “Now, come on. I don’t think the name Farlan is bad.. or Roy.”

Levi glanced over at the other in mild exasperation, “As much as I liked the bastard, I’m  _ not _ naming our kid Farlan.”

Eren looked back at him, “Why not?”

“Because it suited him, but otherwise it's a weird name,” he retorted.

“That's not a reason.”

“The hell it isn't, we’re not naming our kid Farlan,” Levi said decisively.

“Okay okay,” Eren conceded. He made sure to fill the silence that would have been with a hum of thought.

This didn't go unnoticed by his senior. But, knowing his lover as he did, he knew he wouldn’t get a direct answer unless he asked. “What’s wrong?” Levi finally questioned him outright.

The fake happy demeanor Eren had put on immediately fell. He slumped and avoided eye contact, “...It’s dumb.”

He scoffed at that, “Obviously not if it’s bothering you.”

The room fell quiet as Eren searched for words.

“Eren-”

“I’m afraid of the silence.”

Of all things he had anticipated, that hadn’t been one. Levi made to reply when he noticed the brunette still looked as though he wanted to say something.

“..Silence for me means that no one is there…” he heaved a long sigh, “and I.. I don’t want to be alone.” Those vibrant eyes flitted to him momentarily as the teen went back to hiding his face in his arms, “...I told you it was dumb.”

The Corporal sent him a disapproving look, though he didn’t see it. “I have already said I’m possessive as fuck,” he pointed out, “so you’re not getting rid of me.” A thought crossed his mind and he scowled, “Plus that sister of yours practically stalks you, so she’s not going anywhere unfortunately.”

Eren gave him a light and slightly playful shove, a tiny smile finally coming to his face.

“Hanji is too damn stubborn to leave you be, ever. That coconut haired kid seems like he’ll be around awhile too,” he continued. His sharp eyes immediately picked up on the tension leaving his spouse’s shoulders, seems his words had done the trick.

With another, more relieved, sigh, the younger leaned into the shorter man’s side. “Thanks, Levi,” he murmured.

This time, he decided to allow his actions to speak for him as he wrapped an around the other’s shoulders and planted a kiss on his brow.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Here's the next chapter, enjoy the excessive fluff :)

Eren awoke with full slants of sunlight beaming in through his window. He immediately frowned, knowing that because he had slept late into the morning that he would not see Levi until the afternoon. He sighed and tried not to let the thought make him sad. That would just ruin his day further. He sat up slowly around his swollen belly.

"Good morning, sleeping dipshit."

Eren jumped at the voice. Who the hell was in his room? He turned to the familiar resonance, eyes widening when he took in his lover's form leaning in the doorway.

"Levi! Why aren't you out training?! You're never up and out this late!" Eren blubbered.

Levi rolled his eyes. "I know I'm never late. And I'm not today either--I took the day off."

The brunette frowned. "Why did you take off? Aren't you going to need those days for when the baby comes?"

The Corporal's brow furrowed as he approached the boy's bedside. He came close enough to lay one hand on Eren's belly and the other in his brown locks. Levi smirked slightly when Eren looked up to him with curious eyes.

"March 30th."

"What?"

Levi scoffed, "That's the date, idiot. Don't tell me you forget what that means."

Eren pouted back against the pillow, thinking. Realization hit him.

"O-oh...it's my birthday?" Eren said curiously.

Levi flicked the tip of his nose in annoyance, "No shit it's your birthday."

That made sense then; Levi waking up early and letting him sleep late, the Corporal's day off, and the little wrapped package on his nightstand. His birthday! The pregnancy not only had a knack for making time pass faster, but also for making him forgetful. Eren could see why Levi got frustrated with him.

"S-sorry..." he muttered, frowning at his ignorance.

Levi leaned in and kissed the teen's brow, stroking his hair back lovingly. The hand on his belly left him to grab up the little box on his table.

"Don't apologize for stupid shit," Levi chided, slipping the box into Eren's palm. "Just open your present."

"Levi you didn't have to--"

"Just open the present, brat."

Eren pouted again a moment before he got over himself and began to tear into the wrappings on the small container. Levi watched him with careful eyes, nose scrunching when Eren threw the paper off the package and onto the bed in sloppy scraps. Eren's teal eyes lit up like a match when he opened the little gift to reveal a small bar of...chocolate?

"Oh my god...w-where did you get this?" Eren breathed in awe.

"I have my ways."

"This must have cost a fortune! Chocolate is...like super rare! I-I can't take this!"

Eren tried to push the box away but Levi held it in place with a firm hand.

"Stop it, Eren. You deserve this."

The pregnant man's face began to get hot and his green eyes got misty with tears.

"Why are you so good to me?" Eren sniffled.

Levi rolled his gray orbs, "Come on, Eren, breathe for a second, will you? It's the least I can do considering everything you do for me."

The teen laughed bitterly. He snuggled his head under Levi's chin and breathed in the man's sweet scent. "And what exactly do I ever do for you?"

"Well for one..." Levi laid a kiss into a chestnut mop of hair and rubbed a gentle hand across Eren's protruding stomach. "You're carrying my child."

Eren shivered under Levi's ticklish touch. Strong arms hugged him closer and he couldn't help but feel privileged for being able to be this close to the man he loved so dearly.

"Levi...I-"

"And secondly..." the older let his lips drift along his pregnant lover's collar, "You're beautiful."

Eren let out a soft mewl at the addicting attention--they really hadn't had much time lately for such frivolous affections with Levi's work and Eren's pregnancy.

"Thirdly, you keep me sane."

The teen laughed at Levi's weirdly sentimental words--where did he go so right in order to get such kindness from the stoic Captain Levi?

"And how do I do that, hmmmn?" Eren purred.

"Tch. As if I know. I've been wondering that since the day I fell in love with your bratty ass," Levi scoffed, slipping onto the bed and hugging even closer to his husband.

Eren giggled goofily and turned his nose into Levi's chest. They laid there together in quiet peace awhile. It was the happiest Eren had been in a long, long time. He was in bed at eleven in the morning, nothing to do, nowhere to go, with the most amazing man in the world hugging his back and their child happy and warm in his stomach. Perfection. He never wanted to move again.

A warm pair of lips trailed against his ear causing him to sigh in content. Corporal

was being really affectionate today...

"When you're ready, brat, I'll give you your next present," Levi whispered into his ear.

Eren shuddered, "I don't need anything else, Levi."

"I know," the man nuzzled his hair and kissed his earlobe, making Eren tremble more. "But I like to spoil my brat rotten. And since it's your birthday I thought I'd do something extra special for you."

That perked up the still slightly sleepy shifter.

"U-uuhmm..." Eren stuttered as Levi stood from the bed. "W-we probably shouldn't do it--it may be too hard on the b-baby..."

Levi raised a slim brow at the accusation. He patted Eren's belly.

"Who said anything about sex?" Levi asked casually.

Eren's cheeks flowered a bright pink color. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish, searching for his words.  

"I-I thought that's what you were talking about!" Eren yelped.

Levi smirked devilishly, getting down on his knees in front of the bed and pulling Eren's legs to hang over the edge. Eren squeaked at the motion, stomach stirring in confusion.

"L-levi?"

The older kissed his knee.

"I was going to suggest I give you a foot and back massage but if you're that horny..."

"No! Massages are fine for now! Thank you," Eren squawked, covering his face in embarrassment.

Levi smirked again, "Shitty brat."

His Corporal grabbed up one of his socked feet and began to rub it smoothly. Eren moaned in relief; his feet had been aching for weeks without relief, but the muscles melted against Levi's fingertips instantly. Levi's strong hands were  _ made _ for massages, Eren quickly realized. Titan killing machine his ass--Levi would have been an even better masseuse.

"Levi that feels so damn good..." Eren groaned.

"I can tell from the way you're crooning, dumbass," Levi deadpanned.

His lover rubbed a few more circles in his arches before picking up the other foot and giving it equal treatment.  _ This _ \--Eren thought--was _ way _ better than sex. He sighed again in pleasure as the stress chaffed off of his heels.

Eren whined when Levi set down his feet. His hands inched up his ankles, rubbing and squeezing the muscles all the way up his legs. When he got to his thighs, Eren tensed, his blush threatening to take his composure again.

"L-levi..." he warned.

"I'm not going to do anything, idiot--I said I wouldn't," Levi soothed. "Now turn around and I'll rub your back."

Eren turned haphazardly around his swollen belly, Levi's hands hovering to help him if needed. He settled back down and leaned into Levi, feeling his hands snake around to his shoulders. He felt a small pinch and his back melted in a puddle of muscle.

"Aahhhhh...why are you sooo good at this?" Eren moaned.

He fell even further back into Levi's hands, just like puddy. The younger heard a soft scoff from Levi and somehow knew he was smiling. It made him happy to know that his pleasure could make Levi happy too. He closed his eyes and allowed the rubbing on his back to sooth him. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

Levi saw the boy's eyes close and felt his body slacken a mere few seconds later. He sneered down at Eren in annoyance, but ultimately decided that his lover deserved a peaceful day to relax and sleep. He cradled his underling in his arms and laid him carefully on the bed, tucking a blanket under his chin.

Levi shook his head and smoothed Eren's hair a bit. He guessed the rest of the brat's presents would have to be given out later.

* * *

"Eren."

He next awoke to a firm hand shaking his shoulder. Eren groaned and tried to roll away from the pestering but to no avail. He felt a harsh slap to his upper back and yelped.

" _ Eren _ ," Levi hissed, "it's getting late and you haven't eaten anything all day. So get your ass up so we can go down to eat."

The pregnant man whined and kicked his feet in a pout, crossing his arms over his swollen belly.

"Whhhhhy?? Can't you just bring something up here for me, babe?" Eren begged.

"No. And stop calling me that."

"Ugh I don't want to get up I feel like crap..."

Levi scoffed, "No you don't, shithead."

"You don't know that," Eren countered.

The older shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. The mess hall was no more than two halls away; Did the brat really expect Levi to do all his bidding for these straight nine months?

He sighed, "Well how are you going to get your other presents if you don't get out of the damn bed today?"

That was all it took. Eren's eyes lit up with childlike excitement and he struggled up to a shaky stand. Levi sneered at his eagerness, but leant him a hand nonetheless.

"Come on, brat, let's go."

The walk was short and quiet, only making the obvious noise from the mess even more noticeable. Levi's nose scrunched up in distaste as he threaded his fingers with Eren's.

"Surprise him, my ass..." The Captain grumbled.

"What was tha-?"

"SURPRISE HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EREN!"

The collective shriek made the man jump out of his bones. His hand on Levi's became tight like a vice, and he was more than embarrassed to admit that his strained bladder had leaked a little at the surprise. The room was filled with Eren's friends and family, but it took him a moment to catch his breath from the shock.

Eren stumbled into the room a bit and Mikasa and Armin shot from their seats to help him sit. Mikasa brought him a glass of water and talked him through his breathing. Meanwhile, Levi was occupied with scolding Connie and Sasha, who had been the ones to jump out nearly right in front of Eren.

" _ I said surprise him not scare the shit out of him you dumbasses,"  _ Levi growled.

The disastrous duo cowered away, apologizing in excess. Levi glared at them specifically before broadening his glare.

"You all are fucking terrible at this," he reprimanded.

Eren quickly caught his breath, laughing lightly at the way Levi's militaristic side showed even in the planning of a party. Levi turned to him, daggers lightening only a bit.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Eren chuckled.

He took a moment to take in his surroundings. There were blue and green streamers hanging from the rafters, along with big white table cloths on the mess benches. One table was filled with mouthwatering foods, another stacked with a couple brightly wrapped packages.

"I-is this...all for me...?" he breathed.

"All yours."

Happy tears began to brim in Eren's oceanic eyes. Levi frowned and patted his back, uttering at him to not get so emotional. But of course Eren couldn't help it.

"I-is that cake?" he asked in a small voice.

Levi nodded and reached down to lace his fingers with Eren's. The younger clutched tightly onto him and used him as a crutch to get closer to the food table. The delicacies there made him want to drool.

"How did you afford all this..?" Eren breathed in shock.

Captain Levi helped him to sit again and Armin cut the birthday boy a piece of cake with lots of frosting.

"Well, we decided to lump in your birthday celebration with your baby shower so that definitely helped with the money. And not to mention that the Captain's salary is quite large and advantageous," Armin explained with a smile.

Mikasa added in quietly, "The rest of us pitched in what we could, as well."

"So you'd better appreciate it, Jaeger," Jean sneered.

Wow, so even Jean was in on this? Eren felt blessed beyond anything he could ever imagine.

"Thank you all so much!" he squeaked, trying to hold back the tears.

Levi scoffed and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe off his brat's face.

"Quit blubbering shithead and eat your cake," he chided.

Eren did just that, scooping up a heap of cake and shoveling it down fast. It was damn good cake. So sweet and fluffy and....just amazing. He moaned from the deliciousness.

Once he finished his piece, he moved on to the little tray of sandwiches, and when he was done with that he began to snack on a bowl of chips. Everyone munched quietly around him, letting the pregnant man eat whatever outrageous amount of food he wanted. When he finally began to slow down, they plopped a blue package tied up with ribbons in front of him. He looked up curiously at the friends around him.

"For me?" he asked cautiously.

Armin smiled, "Technically for the baby. From me and Mikasa."

Eren couldn't contain his excitement as he tore through the wrapping on the gift. He threw open the box and pulled out a plush kitten stuffed animal. 

"Awwwwwee! Thanks you guys!" Eren cooed as he held up the little white kitten--it looked just like Cookie the stray cat. He shifted his gaze to Levi with a grin, "Isn't it adorable?"

Levi scoffed and smirked at his sentimental lover, "Adorable."

Eren wiggled happily and placed the stuffie down gently. Next, Christa and Ymir stepped forward with a vibrantly colored bag. Eren snatched up the package and opened it excitedly. From a mess of tissue paper he pulled out a little onesie with the words "My daddy is a Scout" embroidered on the front along with the wings of freedom.

"Oh my god! Levi look~!" Eren squealed.

"I see it, Eren."

"Ymir and I made it ourselves. We'd thought it'd be cute what with you two being proud Scouts and all..." Christa explained sweetly. Ymir smirked and threw her arm over the other girl's shoulders.

"I love it," he assured, folding up the tiny clothing.

Jean, Sasha, and Connie were next. Eren eyed his horse-faced rival suspiciously as he set down a messily wrapped gift.

"Thanks..." he said cautiously as he pulled off the paper.

What he opened up was a package of tiny socks, all decorated to look like different foods. One pair looked like little cheeseburgers, another like cupcakes, another like steaming bowls of soup--typical for Sasha and Connie. Eren lifted an eyebrow at Jean.

"I just went in on it with them..." he grumbled moodily.

Eren laughed, "Well they're perfect."

His smile brightened the room with a liberating light.

* * *

It wasn’t long after Eren had torn through all his presents and cake, prepared to fall asleep in his chair, that the rest of the squad was called to training. He dutifully said his farewells and thank yous before letting out a drawn out yawn. Levi inched closer to him on the mess bench and slipped a skillful hand to his waist.

“Thanks for the party, babe. I really needed that…” Eren mumbled happily, sinking into the crook of his lover’s neck. 

Levi kissed the crown of his head, murmuring into his locks a houghed, “Glad you enjoyed hanging around with your bratty friends.”

The brunette chuckled a bit before realizing something, “Aren’t you going to yell at me for calling you babe?”

The ravenette grunted haughtily, pinching Eren’s side with the hand wrapped at his waist. The teen jumped a bit and slapped his husband playfully in the chest. 

“I was hoping that if I ignored it, you’d get bored of that little name,” the Corporal explained with an intent glance. 

Eren grinned into Levi’s neck, looking up at him with mischievous green eyes.

“Now why would I do that,  _ babe _ ?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

After his birthday, Eren was in visibly better spirits which Levi couldn't help feeling proud about. Some of the boy’s energy had returned alongside his newly reformed attitude. Although he still suffered from the occasional nightmare from the attack. His bruises and wounds faded for the most part, only his hand still giving him a bit of trouble.

 

He was making himself get up and do things everyday, even if they were menial tasks. He never overworked himself, or bugged Levi while he was working, or made a nuisance of himself at all really. He would clean and tidy and even help with cooking occasionally.

 

Levi was just glad that he was doing better. The after effects of the attack were still very much present for both of them, but at least they were pulling themselves back up; even with the occasional hitch here and there.

 

Hanji continued to keep a close eye on the mental and physical state of her favorite cadet. She also made sure to encourage the teen enthusiastically, feeling accomplished only when he let out a laugh at her antics.

 

One day, after he had wakened and showered, Eren felt odd. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Assuming it was nothing, he continued on with his day as usual. He made a quick stop to see his spouse, alerting the man to the fact that he was going to see their horses.

 

The air outside was crisp and freshening, typical of the spring season. The climate and weather was what made it one of Eren’s favored season.

 

A lot of the horses were out for squad training. Although Eren immediately noticed the absence of Erwin’s white steed - apparently he had gone to the inner walls to meet with Zackly and alert him to Eren’s situation. He could only imagine how that conversation would go.

 

A familiar whinny caught his attention then. He broke into a smile as he went to the stall that housed his elegant mare. “Hey Ginger,” he called, petting her soft snout.

 

She tossed her head a bit, low nickers escaping her as she did.

 

Eren chuckled, “Yeah, I missed you too.”

 

“Oh! Hey Eren!”

 

He turned to the familiar voice with a smile, “Hey Armin.”

 

The blonde dismounted and led his horse into its stall, “Convinced Corporal Levi to let you outside, huh?”

 

“Nah,” Eren laughed, “he actually encouraged it. But did have some.. commentary on my perimeter limits.”

 

Armin cracked a small smile of his own, “Well that's understandable. How are you feeling today?” His hands were occupied undoing the buckles on his saddle and sliding off the bridle.

 

Eren shrugged, focusing affections on his appreciative mare. “I don't know, just kind of off for whatever reason. Thought coming outside might help.”

 

Those blue eyes were inquisitive as he lowered the saddle onto a small stand just outside the stall, “Has it?”

 

“I haven't noticed a difference,” he replied. He shook his head shortly after, “Anyway, what have you been doing?”

 

Armin rolled his eyes at the change in subject, “I've been running errands and messages all day. Just got done alerting the squads out training that lunch is being prepared so they need to come back soon.” 

 

He closed the stall door then, offering his steed a carrot. He smiled when it began crunching happily on the treat, “Hanji has had me searching for information on various subjects too. I think she's gearing up for some new experiment.”

 

“Errand boy today for sure,” Eren teased.

 

His friend rubbed at the back of his head, “Yeah yeah..” He observed the other wordlessly for a few minutes, “Do you want me to saddle up Ginger for you? A short ride might be good for you.”

 

The brunette blinked in surprise, “You wouldn’t mind to?”

 

“Of course not,” he shot back, already heading towards Eren’s saddle. Armin hefted it into his arms as the other opened the stall for him to enter.

 

Ginger seemed to understand what was happening and turned so the blonde could easily put the saddle on her back.

 

“You’re such a compliant horse,” Armin remarked as he buckled the saddle in place, “mine gets antsy sometimes when I’m saddling him up.”

 

“Yeah, she’s a good girl,” Eren praised as he held out the bit for Ginger to take, which she did.

 

Soon enough, the mare was all ready for riding.

 

“Thanks for this, Armin,” the titan shifter said sheepishly. He hooked one of his feet in the stirrup and raised himself up onto Ginger’s back with relative ease; the motion having become a habit of sorts.

 

“Of course,” Armin replied with another smile. “When you’re done you can come find me or someone else to get the saddle off. No lifting for you!”

 

“Oh believe me, Levi got that through my head,” he said with a grin. Eren nudged the sides of his beloved horse, ducking his head instinctively as they left the stables. He set her off on a trot, enjoying the light breeze that came with the movement.

 

Yes, a ride on Ginger had been much overdue. He couldn’t even recall the last time he had ridden her.

 

“Come on girl,” he called, “let’s really stretch your legs.”

 

He nudged her again, coaxing her up to a canter. A joyful laugh bubbled from his lips at the feeling. It was very much like using the 3DM gear in that it came with a strong sense of freedom.

 

Ginger whinnied and went into a gallop without provocation.

 

They shot around headquarters, sticking to the well used trails surrounding the perimeter. Every once in awhile they would have to dodge the odd Corps member, but otherwise the two were on their own. His odd feeling continued and intensified somewhat as he rode but, just as before, he ignored it.

 

Eren wasn’t sure how long he stayed out on Ginger, but he knew he relished every moment of it. He slowed her back down to a trot as they began heading back towards the stables. A glance at the position of the sun let him know he was probably late for lunch.

 

“Levi’s going to kill me,” he breathed in despair.

 

Just as the stables came into view, a strong pain shot through him. Eren gasped loudly at it, clutching at his middle. At that same time a dizzy spell hit him.

 

Ginger slowed and nickered nervously.

 

“Wh-What is thi- AUGH!” He cried out as it came again. Something was wrong, there was no doubt. He groaned and nudged his horse suddenly. He needed Hanji, something might be wrong with the baby. The mere thought terrified him to no end.

 

He dismounted haphazardly, only just making sure Ginger made it into her stall before stumbling forward. Dizziness hit him again suddenly, making his vision go black. He wavered and collapsed onto his side, desperately fighting to stay conscious. Another wave of pain went through him drawing forth a pained whimper.

 

What was going on? 

 

He pushed himself up to his hands and knees, crawling forward a bit. He  _ had _ to get to Hanji. Dizziness pulsed through his head, severely disorienting him as he tried to lift himself up. 

 

He absently noted the loud sound of whinnying coming from beside him. Eren peered up blearily to find Levi’s horse, Magnolia. His eyelids fluttered as consciousness began to leave him. He collapsed back onto his side and allowed the darkness to take him.

 

Levi, who had already been on his way to the stables to fetch Eren, was immediately alert when Magnolia’s distinctive whinny rang out. His brow furrowed as he increased his pace. She normally didn’t make noise unless she was startled or anxious. The sinking feeling in his gut pushed him onwards.

 

As he turned the corner, his blood turned cold. Eren lay on his side in front of Magnolia’s stall, unmoving. “Eren!” He ran forward to his spouse, raising his head up from the ground as he searched the other’s body for signs of injury.

 

“Fuck! Eren,” he called, lightly smacking the teen’s cheek, “Eren wake up.” The only response he got was a long, drawn out moan of discomfort. Levi cursed again and hefted the boy into his arms, practically running for the only person who could help.

 

He kicked open the door and continued his hastened pace to Hanji’s lab where he knew the woman would be. A quick glance down at his lover only brought him more concern. His face was considerably pale, brows knit together with pain. Something was wrong and he didn’t know what.

* * *

A stiff silence filled the room, soaking into every corner. Eren lay unconscious on the bed, brow still furrowed in discomfort.

 

The raven looked to his companion accusingly, “You knew this would happen?”

 

Hanji scowled at him, “I knew something like this was a possibility.”

 

Levi glared harshly at her.

 

“Levi this whole thing has been one risk after another,” she exclaimed with rising exasperation, “a male’s body was never meant to carry a child! It’s unnatural and his body is trying to fight it. I had hoped he would be strong enough to fight the effects. But I always knew something like this was a possibility, he did too.”

 

“Then why did you let him do it?!”

 

“You don’t get to blame this all on me,” she shouted defensively, “he knew the risks going into this! He knew and he still did it!”

 

Levi’s eyes were daggers as they continued glaring at her, “Then I ask again:  _ why the fuck did you let him do it _ ?”

 

Hanji faltered, unable to come up with an answer initially. Then she let out a weary sigh, “If you had seen his face you would've let him too…”

 

Some of the anger seemed to leave the short man’s frame at that. He looked away, crossing his arms. There was still obvious tension in his shoulders.

 

“Now just because this has come up doesn't mean it's the end of it,” she murmured, “we can combat this. Just things won't be going quite so smoothly. He’ll need more attentive care… among some other things.”

 

“Have you already forgotten what you agreed to do?”

 

Hanji hardened herself, “I said I would take care of things if the  _ baby  _ was hurting him. This is his body trying to fight things because of the abnormal situation.”

 

Levi narrowed his eyes, still obviously displeased. “If that's the case then why the hell hasn't anything come up before?”

 

“It has,” the researcher answered levelly. “The ‘morning sickness’, the migraines, his body aches, his dizziness,” she rattled on, “all of that would be normal for a pregnant female which is how Eren wanted to pass things off. But really they were all results of his body struggling to adjust to the baby.”

 

Another silence took the room as the shorter man considered this. “So you’ve been lying to me from the beginning,” he summarized tersely. 

 

“Well…….you never asked,” she shot back in a weak tone of voice.

 

Tension was thick in the air. Hanji knew from the beginning that she was digging herself into a hole that would eventually be discovered.

 

Eren shifted on the bed, a low groan escaping him.

 

“...This isn't going to deter him,” she said honestly.

 

Levi let out an exhausted sounding sigh, “I know. Fucking nothing will deter his stubborn ass.”

 

Hanji let out a half smile at that, feeling as though there had been a step taken towards mending things. If he was talking semi normally again, then surely it could be seen as nothing bad.

 

From the bed, Eren released another quiet groan, his head lolling about on the pillow. His eyes fluttered open shortly thereafter, revealing a set of tired green orbs.

 

He looked around blearily for a bit before shooting up in bed. “O-Oh god Hanji,” he blubbered, tears coming to his eyes, “what's… What happened!? Is my baby okay!? Did I fuck up… I-”

 

“Eren calm down,” Hanji immediately said, “as far as I can tell, the baby is fine. You've got a bit of bruising on your side from where you fell…”

 

“A-As far as you can tell..?!”

 

Levi grabbed his face in his hands, “Eren. Calm down.”

 

The brunette took a few shaky breaths and put his hands over the ones on his cheeks. Tears continued to trickle down his face, “I'm sorry…”

 

“For what?”

 

“I-I keep messing up. I keep putting our baby at risk a-and I keep-” his voice cracked as he broke into a choked sob.

 

“Eren…” Levi breathed, bringing the teen into his hold. “Half of this shit hasn't even been your fault.”

 

“He's right,” Hanji reiterated firmly, “you are in no way at fault here.” She bit her lip, “Your body is working against you right now, as it has been. You can't control it any more than I can.”

 

A sniffle escaped Eren.

 

“What happened to make you faint, Eren?”

 

His colorful eyes snapped to the woman with the sudden question, “I don't really know. I was dizzy and disoriented and then this sharp pain came from my stomach.” He looked away, “I thought I was losing the baby.”

 

Hanji looked thoughtful as she considered this new issue. “Was it like a stabbing pain or more like a cramping pain?”

 

Levi seemed to realize what she was hinting at, “A contraction? Isn't it way too fucking early for anything like that?”

 

“It was a sharp stabbing kind of pain.”

 

“Hmmmmmm,” she drew out. “Eren I need you to go pee,” she declared.

 

He stared at her in bewilderment, “Uhh why?” Earlier tears all but forgotten.

 

“We need to see if there's any blood in your urine. That would mean something is wrong that we’re not seeing,” she explained calmly. “So, Eren, go pee.”

 

The teen huffed before attempting to get to his feet, accepting the hold Levi had on his elbow. He paused in his movements and looked around in confusion, “Wait where are we?”

 

“The infirmary half of Hanji’s lab,” Levi said levelly.

 

He flushed slightly with embarrassment, “Oh...right.”

 

The shifter still seemed a little foggy from his incident, so as he began to stand Levi rushed to his side to support him. Hanji couldn’t help but smile at his protectiveness. 

 

“Be more careful on your legs, shithead. You just passed out less than ten minutes ago,” his lover chided as he helped the boy into the bathroom. 

 

A few minutes later and Eren stuttered back out of the room, with the help of his dedicated partner, looking flushed again in the face.

 

Hanji frowned in response, half of her wondering if it was because Levi was having to help him and half of her wondering if he had a fever. “So?” She prodded.

 

“No sign of blood,” Levi confirmed after having settled Eren back on the bed.

 

She nodded, “Okay, that’s good. Eren are you blushing?”

 

He looked at her in bewilderment, “No.. why?”

 

“Your cheeks are flushed,” she pointed out. The woman strode over and felt his forehead and the sides of his neck, “Hmm low grade fever.” Hanji grabbed his chin gently and tilted his head upwards, noting the slightly glassy appearance of his eyes. Definitely a fever.

 

“So he has a fever,” Levi said with evident annoyance, “what the hell does that have to do with anything?”

 

She tossed him a light glare, “It means that this might not be the end of things. Remember how I said he’ll need more attentive care? Well surprise! We’re starting that soon.”

 

Their side conversation turning argument was interrupted by Eren reaching desperately for a nearby bucket and spewing out the contents of his stomach into it. He groaned before gagging again.

 

Hanji sighed, “Correction - we’re starting that today.”

 

The raven gave the bucket a look of disgust, but dutifully moved around it to rest a placating hand on the younger’s shoulder.

 

Once the teen’s stomach had been quelled, Hanji addressed the couple again.

 

“Okay, as of today, I’m putting you on partial bedrest. This means that I only want you up and about if you absolutely have to do something - bathroom, meals, Levi or me for some kind of medical issue, or if you need help with something else.” 

 

She gave the titan shifter a pointed look when he moved to protest, “Don’t you start, this is serious Eren. Your body has constantly been rebelling against the pregnancy but now the backlash of the incompatibility is getting dangerous. I mean what if you had fallen off your horse today!?”

 

Eren shrunk under her surprisingly intimidating form. His eyes were cast to the floor in frustration.

 

The researcher took a deep breath after receiving a warning look from Levi. “Look, Eren,” she continued in a softer tone, “this is just me being overprotective. I’m taking safety precautions because I don’t want to screw this up. I know you don’t either..”

 

“I’m not some delicate flower that constantly needs protection,” he muttered.

 

She couldn’t help the small smile that came to her face. “No you’re not,” she agreed. Hanji knelt before him to get his attention and placed a gentle hand on his belly. “But this little person here, is,” she said. “That little person is going to need protection for much of their life, and in order to protect them, I have to protect you. Even if that means ordering you to be on partial bedrest when you don’t want to.”

 

A short silence passed between the three of them.

 

“So basically, yeah it sucks dick but it’s what’s best for the little brat,” Levi summed up.

 

Eren chuckled a bit in response. It was odd how fond he had become of his spouse’s blunt way of speaking. He sat wordlessly for a bit and then nodded, “Okay.. if you think it’s for the best then I’ll do it. Though I’m going to go insane…”

 

Hanji cracked a grin at him, “I’ll try and find some things to help the time pass, my little titan.”

 

He sat back a bit on the bed and rubbed his protruding middle, “Hear that baby? We’re going to be taking it easier from here on out. Guess that means no more horse rides for awhile.”

 

Both Levi and Hanji could tell he was still on edge about it all, but were glad he was being so agreeable about things.

* * *

He was definitely unsure about his new arrangements. Levi immediately picked up on his anxiety. It was hard not to see the way his eyes flitted about the room, as though looking for something to occupy him. It was like watching a caged bird, and Levi hated doing that to him.

 

The hell of it was, it had only been a few days since he had been put on partial bedrest.

 

Despite his flighty mannerisms, Levi couldn’t help but wonder if there was something else bothering the brunette as well. Eren seemed like he wanted to say something but he stopped himself every time before the words could escape him. It was infuriating, his lover just wanted him to speak his mind. But when asked, Eren shook his head and said it was nothing.

 

“Obviously not,” Levi finally told him one day, “why don't you just come out and say it?”

 

Eren stared at him in surprise before turning his gaze towards the window in their room, nibbling at his lip nervously. A long silence took the room as he debated whether or not to speak the thoughts that had be plaguing him for some time. He gave a small sigh and shook his head, “Don’t worry about it.. It’s-”

 

“I swear to god if you say it’s nothing, I will kick you in the fucking teeth,” his senior snapped. His patience was wearing thin what with his lover’s new habit of avoiding the obvious problem.

 

Those brilliant eyes filled with something akin to hurt, “I don’t want to fight, Levi.”

 

“Well you’re making that difficult by not telling me what the hell is bothering you, brat.” When he didn’t receive an answer, he let out a low growl. “Fuck it then,” he muttered, standing from the edge of the bed.

 

The teen jumped at his sudden movements, “Levi?” There was a bit of alarm in his voice.

 

Levi said nothing as he left the room, shutting the door a bit loudly behind him.

 

Eren immediately felt guilt, but it was quickly forgotten by the constricting feeling in his chest. He swallowed anxiously, “L-Levi?” A sense of loneliness and abandonment rose within him, making him feel sick.

 

Had he finally done it? Had he finally pushed his lover past his breaking point? Was one of his fears coming true?

 

His breathing hitched, “Levi! C-Come back!” He stood up from the bed shakily, desperation beginning to control him. He pushed their door open and stumbled into the hallway, looking around frantically. “I’m sorry,” he cried down the corridor, falling against the wall to keep himself up.

 

There he was, crying…  _ again _ . He just couldn’t seem to stop and he hated it. Eren wiped at his eyes half heartedly.

 

“Eren! Hey don’t cry,” someone called to him, jogging up, “we’re right here - see?”

 

His gaze shot up and landed on Hanji and Levi. “Y-You were getting Hanji…?” He managed.

 

Any remaining anger faded from those cool gray eyes, “Yes. Where the hell did you think I was going?”

 

“I thought I had pissed you off too much,” he exclaimed in exasperation, “I-I thought you were leaving.. for good.”

 

Levi actually looked surprised by that, “What?”

 

Hanji outright laughed, “You’ll  _ never _ have to worry about that. Not since he fought so hard to protect you and claim you as his own.” She quirked a smile when he looked over at her, “He’s possessive, remember?”

 

He shifted uneasily on his feet, eyes avoiding looking at his spouse.

 

“I admit that your mood swings and odd temperament may get frustrating,” the raven haired male added, “but the thought of leaving you has never once crossed my mind.” He grabbed Eren’s left hand and held it in front of his face, “This was my vow to you, shithead, I don’t intend to break it.”

 

Eren’s striking eyes watered a bit at that. He leaned forward and smashed his face into his lover’s chest, taking a few deep breaths.

 

“Let’s go in the room,” their eccentric comrade suggested, “then we can chat a little more. Maybe calm some of your fears some?”

 

Levi easily lifted him into his arms and into the room. He settled the younger on the bed against the headboard while he claimed the chair at the bedside.

 

Hanji, meanwhile, claimed a spot at the foot of the bed. “Okay,” she exclaimed once they had all situated themselves, “let’s hear it, Eren! All your fears, all your thoughts. Everything!”

 

He swallowed, “E-Everything?”

 

“ _ Everything _ ,” she confirmed with force.

 

Eren looked down at his hands. It was silent for a long time before he finally spoke. “I-I’m just really afraid…”

 

Levi went to retort sarcastically but Hanji smacked his arm lightly. He shot her a glare but remained quiet.

 

“I don’t want to be a bad parent…” he continued quietly, “I don’t want them to hate me. B-But what if they do because I’m a titan? What if my baby comes to despise my existence because of what I am?!” 

 

His shoulders trembled with rising anxiety, “O-Or what if the baby comes out a titan!? I don’t want it to live in a world where it has to constantly be afraid of who it is! I want them to be able to live and thrive in this world… I d-don’t want everyone to be afraid of them or hate them because of who they are… Or b-because of who I am!”

 

He was crying by that point, fear bright in his eyes. 

 

The raven could stand his distress no more and wrapped an arm about his shoulders, but surprisingly Eren wasn’t done yet.

 

“O-Or what if someone else comes to kill me or the baby?! What if labor goes poorly and they die before they even have a chance to live!? I j-just don’t want to lose the baby, or Levi…” he rubbed frantically at his eyes, shaking his head as he did.

 

“Hey, hey,” Hanji called, “breathe Eren.. time to calm down now.” She rubbed a motherly hand up and down his arm, smiling faintly. “I’m very proud of you for having told us, but calm down now.. That’s good, deep breaths.”

 

“You aren’t losing me shithead,” Levi chastised, “so get that thought out of your dumbass head.”

 

The researcher smiled kindly to him, “I also have no doubt that this child will love you. You’ve already proved countless times how much you love them, whether it be through concern or the fact that you positively glow when you so much as think of them… A parent that doting could never be hated by the child, no matter who or what they are.”

 

Eren sniffled and wiped at his face, a bit of embarrassment showing as he did.

 

Levi intertwined their hands together wordlessly.

 

“I will also promise you this, my little titan, I’m going to do my best to make sure you carry to term and that delivery goes smoothly. But don’t worry about that, we’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

 

She patted his leg in another motherly gesture, “I also happen to know any of the Survey Corps would gladly lay their lives down to protect this baby, Eren. That one bastard getting in was a complete fluke that won’t happen again.”

 

Finally he looked at her and gave a mute nod, settling against his lover’s side.

 

The room then fell quiet as the two of them worked to calm the teen down completely from his venting session. Eventually, Levi positioned himself at the headboard with Eren laying on his chest. Hanji kept a comforting hand on the boy’s leg, more moral support than anything.

 

Eren meanwhile had been staring intently at the silver band that took up residence on his left ring finger.

 

It suddenly held much more meaning for him, that little wedding ring. It was more than proof of the love he had for Levi; it was proof that no matter what happened in their world, Levi would love and protect him. No matter what tragedy may befall them, their bond would remain as their rings; never ending and never breaking. It also was his reminder that he wasn’t alone in anything he did. His thoughts, his struggles, his fears; all of it he had someone to share with. Levi was much more than his lover, he was his partner - his other half.

 

A small smile worked onto his face. It had been wrong of him to keep such things inside, to conceal his true emotions on everything; especially when it was entirely possible Levi was feeling similar. “I’m sorry,” he breathed, “I was wrong.”

 

Levi said nothing. Instead he reached with his left hand for Eren’s. Their rings shimmered in the low lighting of the room.

 

Hanji watched with a tearful gaze, the look on the younger’s face as they beheld their wedding bands said more than enough. “Everything will be fine, Eren,” she said confidently, “don’t worry so much about the future. We’ll get there when we get there.”

 

Eren took initiative and moved their intertwined hands to his swollen belly. “And we’ll get there together,” he finished. He wasn’t alone, he never had been - nor would he ever be.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~   
> Thanks again to all reviewers and bookmarkers and kudo-errrs etc! You guys rock :)

The sound of a snapping branch was what woke him. His senses had always been sharp, so even that little noise--which had arisen from a squirrel jumping tree to tree--had Levi jolting up from his impromptu nap.

It took his hazy mind a moment to get his surroundings, but when he finally did, he scolded himself. Sleeping  _ outside? _ What kind of heathen was he? A scowl slipped onto his face.

And all that was not to mention it was never a safe idea to sleep in the middle of nowhere with no guard. The Captain should’ve known better than to fall asleep so nonchalantly when he was travelling with such precious cargo.

The third reason he was angry was that the air seemed to have cooled in the time he was sleeping--leaving his brat without the necessary layers, and letting him to bare the chill in the air. The kid was shivering for fuck’s sake!

“Eren,” the man called softly, carding his fingers through his lover’s fringed locks.

The chestnut strands were tapered with a bit of sweat, Levi noticed with a bit of dismay. He lifted a hand to caress Eren’s flush cheeks, finding with rising concern that he was in fact  _ warm _ \-- something his light shivering had not betrayed initially. He had a fever.

“ _ Eren? _ ” Levi called again with a bit of urgence. 

“Mnnnh…N-no…”

“Eren, wake up. We need to go in.”

The older shook the teen but to no avail. The man just seemed to tremble more at the touch.

“No...m-my baby...I...I.mmnhhhf…”

“Fuck it.”

Eren was getting a bit delusional, reminding Levi of other times when his young lover had gotten sick and hallucinated. He grit his teeth at the prospect of his lover having to go through such trials. He wrapped his arms carefully around his husband and lifted him easily into his strong arms.

The teen grumbled again in his sleep, but otherwise was limp with sleep. Levi grunted again in displeasure before trekking back toward headquarters with gusto. He wanted this problem fixed now so they could spend the rest of their day off in restful bliss.

* * *

“How is he?”

The glasses- wearing scientist looked up momentarily before poking around on her patient a bit more.

“Seems fine,” she prognosed with a shrug, “Honestly I think his body is just getting overworked easily. Even that simple walk may have been enough to overheat and exhaust him.”

“Fucking great,” Levi grumbled in distaste, to which Hanji offered another shrug and toothy smirk.

“Just make him rest the rest of the day and he’ll be fine.”

“And how am I supposed to do that? You know how he is,” Levi snarled, though his tone was fond. “Plus I still haven’t told him...about the expedition.”

The scientist frowned.

“Well, I suppose you’ll just have to sweeten him up first.” She winked.

“Oi, shut your damn mouth, shitty glasses.”

* * *

About thirty minutes after Hanji had left, the titan shifter began to stir. Levi was quickly at his side, eyes scanning his brat’s form as he stuttered his way into consciousness.

Those lids skimmed open to reveal bleary teal orbs.

“L-Levi?”

“Yeah.”

Eren smiled gently at the voice. His hand reached out briefly, and Levi immediately took it up in his own, giving the smooth skin a gentle squeeze.

“Are we back inside?”

“Yeah. You had a fever so I dragged you back in myself,” Levi said, squeezing his husband’s hand again for emphasis.

“You…” He was interrupted by a sleepy yawn, “could’ve woken me up.”

Levi smirked and brought his lips down to lay a rough kiss against Eren’s still pink cheeks. He pinched his arm affectionately before raising an eyebrow at the pregnant man.

“Oh I definitely tried that,” he deadpanned.

Eren’s ears tinged a light pink and Levi smirked at his embarrassed state.

“So I had to carry you in like the pretty little princess you are,” he sneered.

He dotted the younger’s cheek with another peck. Eren mumbled under his breath, eyes darting to the ground, cheeks and ears stained with color.

Levi moved his lips and placed them to his lover’s warm ear, blowing hot air against his skin before kissing his lobe. The teen shivered, quite to the other’s pleasure, and leaned into him.

“Did you say something, Eren?” he murmured against his flushed skin.

“Ahh! N-no…”

Levi smirked again and bit gently on Eren’s ear, whispering into the heated skin, “Yes you did. Tell me what you said, you little shit.”

Eren giggled nervously before huddling into his lover’s neck. He placed kisses across Levi’s collar before looking up at him with fiery eyes.

“I-I said I’m a prince,” he quipped. “Not a princess.”

Another smirk.

“Oh, are you now?”

The younger laughed into his shoulder, “Yeah. So give me all you have, peasant.”

There was a seductive flash in those pools of aqua that Levi couldn’t dare look away from. A small growl worked its way from his throat as he laid a few more harsh kisses against Eren’s tanned skin. Eren hummed and sighed in appreciation. 

“Peasant? Now who are you calling a peasant? I’m not certain…” he trailed his hands slowly down his husband’s rounded sides, “but I’m pretty sure I’m the one in charge of this relationship.”

Eren giggled again--Levi melting at the sound--before grinning, eyes alight with a challenging fire.

“Hhhmm...Is that right, peasant?” Eren purred.

Their lips met in a swift, burning kiss.

“Yes, it is. And in that case, I’m no shitty peasant--if anything you are. I’m your king.”

“My king?”

Levi brought his lips in for another kiss, pulling away just so before Eren could taste him again.

“Your king,  _ Eren _ ,” the man smirked against his lover’s rosy lips, “Maybe you’d like to bow down and show your respect?”

“Heh, no thanks.”

Their lips met again and this time Eren couldn’t help but whine at Levi’s expert attentions. 

Things were getting hot fast, and Eren couldn’t help but love every second of it. Really, he and Levi hadn’t been able to do the deed in such a long time--he was kind of missing it. 

But a sharp kick brought them both out of their sensuous haze. 

“Ow!” 

“Holy shit! Was that the fucking baby?”

“S-shit, yeah...ow, damn. This little thing’s definitely got your legs...owww man,” Eren rubbed at his pregnant stomach carefully, trying to sooth the bruising pain.

Levi laughed. He  _ laughed _ , pulling Eren in for another, this time chaste, kiss.

“Guess baby says no fun,” he surmised with a smirk.

Eren rolled his eyes, “Yeah no fucking kidding.”

Levi laid a delicate hand on his lover’s stomach, patting the bump gently. 

“Good kick, ya little bastard.”

* * *

“Eren I need to tell you something.”

The warm, understanding smile he received made his stomach flip in frustration.  _ Don’t be so accepting, you don’t even know what’s coming, brat. _

“Levi, you know you can tell me anything.”

“I know that, idiot. But this is some serious shit and I don’t want you to...flip out or something.”

Eren’s eyes darkened a bit, but his knowing smile still remained. He took Levi’s hand in his own and studied it a bit.

“I know you think I’m overly emotional but I can handle it. I promise.”

The older sighed and took an exasperated breath.  _ We’ll see about that. _

“Eren...There’s an expedition coming up.”

There was just no easy way of saying it, was there?

Eren’s emerald eyes widened and he took in a sharp breath. Levi could practically see the emotions running wild behind his shimmering eyes and bitten lip. It seemed as though he was trying to contain himself for Levi’s sake--which the man thought was dumb, but applauded him for trying.

“W-when?” Eren finally asked, breathing uneasy.

Levi’s scowl found its place on his face, “Next week.”

The teen breathed in anxiously, before running a shaking hand through his shaggy locks.

“I assume there’s no way you can get out of it…”

“I already tried.”

Eren choked a little on his breathing. He looked at Levi with sad, puppy-like eyes.

“...I-I guess there’s nothing to say then.”

Levi could tell Eren was trying to hold it together--and maybe he would’ve if it weren’t for the hormones raging in his body--but really, there was no reason to hold it in. Levi had prepared himself and was ready to receive his sorrows, to make him feel better in any way possible. There was no reason to hold in feelings that would only cause more stress.

“Eren...I know you’re upset,” the short Corporal pulled the younger into a tight embrace. He could feel Eren’s shoulders shaking slightly as he continued, “There’s no reason to hold it back. I’m here for you, shit for brains.”

That was all it took for the dam to break.

Levi felt the first few tears stain his pristine white shirt and sighed, knowing he would have to wash and press it to get out the slobber Eren would leave on it. But that wasn’t what mattered. Eren choked out a sob and, he was quickly made a sniffling mess as he clung to Levi’s shirt.

The older whispered comforting words as Eren had his little moment, brushing the teen’s hair in a soothing manner and wiping the occasional tear from his bright eyes.

“I’m sorry, Eren…” the Captain soothed, a hand brushing a chocolate strand behind his ear.

“I-it’s not y-your fault,” Eren blubbered messily, his sobs already evening and slowing. “I j-just am gonna m-miss you...a-and I-I’m…”

His words trailed into a hiccup. 

“Eren?”

He continued in a voice barely audible, “I’m scared...I-I know how strong you are...b-but what if something happens to you?! I-I can’t do this on my own...I can’t live without you…”

Levi scoffed and pulled Eren further into his shoulder. 

“I won’t get hurt, I promise you. If I do, you can punch me or whatever you want. But the hell if I’ll let that happen.”

Eren sniffled and hid his face in his lover’s body.

Levi lifted Eren’s chin with a careful hand, “Nothing will happen to me, Eren. And if anything does, you’ll survive. You have a lot of people who love you, shitface.”

“B-but I want  _ you. _ I know I have others b-but without you I-I...I don’t want to live without you, Levi…”

The man was stunned into momentary silence.

“Tch...me, eh?” he kissed Eren’s hair, “what a stupid thing to say.”

“I love you so much, Levi…”

“I know Eren. I love you too.”

He hugged the teen impossibly closer, finding himself somehow anxious about the expedition as well. It’s not as if he was scared something would happen to him...it was the idea of leaving Eren here on his own. Without Eren, he would surely go mad.

“I promise you,” Levi whispered into the darkening room, “nothing bad will come of this. It’s just a stupid, normal expedition.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well....a lot of you already figured this out but...this will not be a fun chapter. EXPEDITION TIME MY FRIENDS MWUAHAHHA. Yeah, but in all seriousness this is where the graphic depictions of violence comes in, so watch your triggers, prepare your brains etc. And remember! Have fun! :D

Twenty minutes; he was supposed to leave on expedition in twenty, short minutes, and yet he couldn’t find the will in his muscles to pull himself from the bed. It was the first time in a long while that Levi had any trouble with that. He prided himself on being a timely person, on being up and ready perhaps even hours before he was supposed to be somewhere. But not today. Today he had awoken with an arm thrown over the two people--or one and a half he supposed--that he loved the most. He looked sadly down upon his lover’s slumbering face, stroking a rogue strand of hair from his eyes.

“Eren…” he called quietly, regretting that he had to wake him up in the depths of such a peaceful sleep.

The brunette grumbled and rolled away from Levi’s touch, huddling further into his covers. Levi shook his head. He reached over Eren’s sleeping form and pinched the teen’s nose closed with his fingers. After a moment Eren spluttered awake with a cough.

“How many times to I have to tell you to stop doing that?!” he yelled, a pout forming on his plump lips.

Levi frowned, “I have to leave.”

The room became quiet.

“Right now?” Eren whimpered, his voice void of the angry passion it’d had just a moment before. “C-Can’t you stay with me a little longer?”

The Captain shook his head sadly and nuzzled his nose into the other’s hair. He breathed in his sweet scent, knowing it could be a few days before he was able to have that luxury again. He kissed Eren’s hair gently and laid a hand on his pregnant stomach. Levi gave a small smile at the little stir he felt.

“I’ve already waited too long, brat. I need to leave in less than fifteen minutes.”   


Eren sniffled back a sob and laid his head against Levi’s strong chest. The heavy, bleeding pulses of his lover’s heartbeat lulled his sorrow.

“It’s so dumb. Your husband is pregnant, so why can’t you just stay! I don’t want to be alone…” Eren grumbled.

Levi pulled him closer and pecked his lips. “You know I have to go, Eren, so stop making it harder on yourself and accept it. I’ll be back soon. Plus you’re not going to be alone idiot, remember?” he calmed the trembling young man, “Your little blond coconut friend is going to stay with you.”

“Armin,” Eren provided with a wet laugh.

“Yeah that one.”

Despite their conversation, Eren still wouldn’t let Levi go. They sat together, glued to one another for another five minutes before the Corporal finally pried Eren away. He kissed his brow and belly and hastily threw on his uniform. Eren straightened his cravat for him as he walked to the door.

“Be careful.”

“Whatever.”

And he left. Eren slumped back into the bed, fighting back tears and waiting for his friend to come accompany him to breakfast.

* * *

The trumpets could be heard two towns over. Levi never understood why they had to be so loud, but then again he had never felt the need to question it. Not until now, when he was trying to get his thoughts on anything besides his husband and child back at headquarters. He straightened his cravat again and flicked a speck of dust off his horse’s saddle. Magnolia whinnied haughtily and he stroked her smooth black mane--even the damn horse could tell he was off today. This was going to be one shitty expedition.  

Levi focused tiredly on the slow rising of the gate. Hopefully this would all be over soon so he could come back and be with Eren... _ Fuck. Stop thinking about him _ . He bit his lip hard and spurred his horse as the legion began to move forward into the open wildlands.

Everyone quickly fell into formation and the ride was nearly peaceful. The stomping of hooves was rhythmic and the sky was a bright orange and pink, the sun just rising into the vast air.  _ Eren would’ve loved to see this, he loves sunrises...Dammit, stop. _ He jarred his mind away from the mesmeric sky and looked off to the east.  _ Black signal flares. _ He scowled.

“Potato! Black flare, pass the signal!”

“Yes, sir!” Sasha nodded and shot off a flare.

They continued on their way. Levi could hear the distant pounding of titans approaching, but knew they would be far from his position near the center rank. And even if they weren’t, his shitty little squad from the 104th cadets could take them down no problem--no matter how inept they seemed.

Their seamless travel was soon interrupted by a soldier on horseback coming up on their right. Levi’s gut wrenched.  _ Something’s wrong. Fucking great. _

“Sir! The right flank has taken severe hits! Prepare for advancement if the need should come! Pass the message through the ranks and good luck!” the soldier shouted before dispatching.

_ Fuck. _ Levi ground his teeth together in frustration. This was just like that day three years ago...was another titan shifting shit here to destroy his squad again? Hadn’t he taken enough of a beating already?

“Jean, go pass the message to the left anterior flank! NOW!” he hissed.

“Y-yes, Captain!” he steered his horse and was off.

Another wisp of black smoke rose from the east. Closer, much closer this time.

“Blades drawn! Be prepared for combat!”

He couldn’t stop a ball of panic from swirling in his gut. Levi never got nervous in battle, what the hell was going on? His blades were clanging against his gear as he unsheathed them. He was  _ shaking _ . 

What the fuck?! 

He’d fought so many titans in his life, and never had one gotten the better of him. Most soldiers had a kill count, but he...had lost count in the hundreds. His chest felt tight like a cage.

_ Eren. _ That was the only reason he could think of for the pain in his heart and wobble in his knees. Before, he had nothing--people he liked, maybe even loved, but Eren... _ Eren _ was another thing entirely. He  _ loved _ Eren. Enough to make him his husband, enough to have actual kids with him. Levi  _ hated  _ kids. Or maybe he  _ had. _ But he was going to have one of his own now...he couldn’t die here. He had something to live for; so much more to live for.

The titan broke through the clearing. It was disgusting as all are, but perhaps even more so as its chin was stained in human blood. It was gnawing on a severed leg like it was a chicken wing. Levi’s blood boiled at the sight.

“Advance!” he commanded.

He spurred Magnolia forward, willing her on as fast as her legs could take her. The gruesome beast grinned down harrowingly as he rode up to its ankles. It lifted its enormous, dirty foot and brought it down in a stomp. The force threw Levi and his mare into the air. The horse whinnied in shock and pain as she landed, trotting off into the distance as the short Corporal used the momentum to blast up to the beast’s face.

It made a swipe at him, and he felt a gross fingernail scrape against his boot and knock him off balance. He stumbled a moment, falling forward toward the titan’s bloody maw before maneuvering his faltering into a tight spin. His blades dug deep gashes in the monster’s face as he spun around to the nape. He blasted up into the air, shooting his grapples into its back before plummeting down in another spin aimed at its neck. Titan blood flew everywhere like confetti and steam filled the orange sky.

That was that. He maneuvered to the ground and paced wearily back towards his troops. They were meters out, still on horseback.  _ What, they have to take a shit on the way over here? _ He shook his head and picked up the pace.

As he made his way, he noticed their mouths were moving. Were they cheering for him?  _ Tch, what fucking brats.  _ But no...his troops had seen too much, they wouldn’t cheer just because one lousy titan fell. He squinted, his body stiffening.  _ Something’s wrong still. _ Their eyes were wide with fear. They weren’t cheering, they were shouting. Screaming for him to look, to pay attention, to get the hell out of there. It was too late when he realized the pounding against the ground wasn’t the sound of Magnolia galloping back to him.

Levi snapped around and tried to raise a blade, but the hand was already descending on him. And the raised steel only provided an easy target for the titan to follow. The hand plucked up the silver blade like it was a little sewing needle, the human thread still attached to the looped handle.

Levi didn’t feel pain, he never gave into it...but he screamed. He screamed a bloodcurdling scream that turned his squad’s legs to pudding. His arm...something was wrong with his arm! He wanted to let go of the blade being yanked upward by the titan, but he couldn’t get his muscles to respond. His whole left arm felt numb.

The titan brought him close to his face and he could smell its rancid breath, its sharp teeth slick with the blood of many fallen comrades. He thought he saw a hand stuck between its molars...He vomited upon the sight.  _ F-Fucking disgusting… _

He tried to raise his other hand and stab the giant’s face, but it acted before him. It grinned upon its catch as it shook the little blade in its grasp. Levi’s arm was yanked back and forth again and a horrid ripping and popping gave the Corporal a dazzling picture of his injuries. His hand finally flew free from the sword’s handle and he fell into the titan’s open palm.

Levi coughed up blood. Spots were already flaring in his line of sight. There was a ticklish feeling down the side of his face and he used his functioning hand to wipe his cheek.  _ Blood. _ He must’ve gotten some sort of head injury, and with his experience in the field he knew that meant his chances of survival had just gone down by about forty percent. 

His head was spinning, the shapes of the world becoming cloudlike, floating away from his grasp.  _ I’m going to die... _ he thought. His body was vibrating, and he wondered a moment if he was seizing in the titan’s palm. Or was he even in its palm anymore? His ears were ringing, he couldn’t hear anything--had he been swallowed? He coughed again.

_ Eren. _ Dammit! He couldn’t die now! He had a husband, and a baby on the way! This couldn’t be happening; he was always so careful, how could this happen? It had to be a dream...but then again when had he ever had a dream with such realistic and nerve-rending pain? He had to focus, he had to stay alive. This was real, and if he didn’t try to save himself then Eren would be all alone--and he couldn’t do that to the man he loved.

He thought he heard a strange buzzing sound and looked up to see a flash of steam. Was he being saved? A whir of green soared above his head. Something was grabbing him. He shouted in pain as his arm was rustled in the commotion. Shouting. He could hear shouting. There was a blurry face above his, and he faintly registered the feeling of being shaken.

“-apt--in-Le---i!”

Someone was calling his name. His throat was dry though, and he couldn’t open his mouth to speak. His arm...they needed to know what his injuries were--but he still couldn’t speak. He tried to move his arm to indicate what needed attention but even flexing those muscles sent a horrific wave of pain through his body.

“S--meone -et hel--!”

“Cap-ai--! Can --ou hea-- us?”

Small tears began to slowly trickle down his cheeks.  _ Yes I can fucking hear you! Fucking get me some help! _ Why was this world so cruel? He squeezed his eyes shut in horrible pain and looked up at the blood-orange sky.  _ Eren, would’ve loved to see the sky like this…  _ What was his love doing right now? Was he happy and safe? Was he thinking about him? Was their baby growing happily? 

He sucked in a burning gasp of air--the way it stung told him he must’ve had a few broken ribs too. Levi was dying. He was going to die. He had been injured before, but this was worse than all those times before.

“Er-en…” he choked out with what little air he had.

Why was that all he could say? With all that he needed to say? With the extent of his injuries needing to be detailed?

Eren and their child...it was once again the only thought on his mind. The golden sky had morphed into his sun-kissed skin, and the darkness when Levi closed his eyes was brightened by a pair of large teal pools.  _ Eren, I love you so much...I want to be with you, now and always... _ Levi wanted nothing more than to live for him, to make the man he loved happy and warm. But it seemed that wasn’t going to be an option.  _ A child...only needs one dad...right, Eren?  _ He let his eyes slip closed in a tired daze.

_ Eren is loved. Eren will be okay. Our child is loved. Our child is safe inside him. That is all that matters anymore. _

“L-love Er-en...t-el…’im…”

All went quiet.

* * *

 

It was dark and the air was stale. Eren lifted himself up from the cold floor and looked around in confusion. Where was his warm bed? Where was Levi? He sat back on his haunches and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Where am I?” he thought aloud.

His voice echoed smally against the tight walls. Why was is so dark? How had he gotten here? Was he dreaming? He pinched the skin on his wrist, but felt nothing. A dream--that was all. But why did it feel so real?

“Hello?” he called into the impenetrable black.

_ Eren. _

Chills racked his body and he whipped around to the source of the voice. There was nothing there...He swallowed thickly and stood on shaky legs.

“ _ Hello _ ?” Eren yelled a bit louder.

_ Eren. Eren. Eren. _

It wasn’t one just one voice now. There were many. Tens. Hundreds. Where were they? Who were they? What was going on? The teen turned around again only to have his ankles yanked from underneath him.

“Ahh!” He fell onto his hands and knees.

He grit his teeth hard and peered into the endless darkness.

_ Eren. Eren! Help! Eren! _

Tears began to fall from his eyes though he couldn’t understand why.

“No,” he cried, “I’m sorry, I can’t...help I…--where am I?”

“EREN!”

_ No. _ He knew that voice. Eren snapped his head around.  _ No. NO! _

“Levi!”

A group of people--no not people, more like black masses shaped like people--riled before his eyes. Shrieks of agony echoed in the brunettes ears. Black shadowy masses, falling to the ground, clawing at the air, and clinging to the one solid form at the center of the giant crowd.  _ Levi. _

“Eren! Help! H-help me you damn brat!”

He was beaten and bloody. His left arm was hanging listlessly at his side. He was bleeding from the ears. The shadows were clinging to him helplessly, dragging him down, bringing Humanity’s Strongest to his knees and lapping at the blood seeping from his wounds.

“No! Stop! Don’t you touch him!” Eren flung himself forward, only to find he was chained the ground, unable to move, unable to save his lover. “LEVI!”

_ Screaming _ . Levi was screaming in pain. The figures were attracted to the sound, those lying pointlessly on the ground dragging themselves toward the man and latching their haggard teeth into his flesh. Screaming. So much screaming. Eren watched it all. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t close his eyes; those steely orbs coated in blood wouldn’t let him look away. He sobbed in horror, tears falling into the void suspending him. Piece by piece, bit by bit of flesh ripped off the bones of the man he loved and rended between sharp, nonexistent teeth. Why was this happening?

“E-ren! Please! Help me! Don’t--” he was interrupted by another shadow clawing into his skin. He cried in pain, dark eyes falling on Eren in desperation, “Don’t leave me!”

A shadow figure’s hand clamped down the raven’s mouth then. Its claws dug into that smooth face and the blackness consumed the gruesome scene before Eren’s eyes. Darkness again was all that remained. He sat there and sobbed until he felt like he couldn’t breathe anymore.

Eren tossed in bed, sweat and tears pouring down his face. “N-No,” he groaned out, “Levi! No! LEVI!!” He sprang up, looking frantically for his lover. “LEVI WHERE ARE YOU?!” His head was pounding with a fierce headache but he ignored it as best he could.

His feverish mind was only focused on the wellbeing of his lover who was missing from his side.

The brunette heaved in breaths, his heart racing in his chest. His green eyes swept over the room once more in hopes that Levi had somehow appeared in his presence. “LEVI?!”

“Eren…”

That voice gave him pause. Eren whipped his head to the side, looking towards the doorway. His heart sunk as he took in Hanji’s weary and dirtied form. He didn’t miss the blood that stained her uniform like some kind of grotesque painting. “Hanji… Levi - where is Levi!?”

Her brown eyes were sullen as they looked to him, “I’m sorry Eren… but he’s been injured.”

His breath caught in his throat, “B-But how…? I.. You! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HIM!” Those emerald orbs glinted dangerously, “How could you?!”

“It was his own fault,” she countered in a strained tone, “he made a risky move and it cost him!”

“You could’ve stopped him! I know you could have,” Eren shouted at her, though tears betrayed his angry disposition. “Anyone could’ve stopped him!”

A moment of quiet passed.

Hanji sighed in defeat, knowing she couldn’t reason with him, “I’m sorry..”

The titan shifter seemed to realize the situation at hand and he covered his mouth in shock. “Oh god…. h-he’s going to die… Oh god no… No  _ please _ ..” He wept into his hands, “Levi!”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy some more torture my friends! Also note that I will be adding a OOC tag because, well let's face it....THERES A LOT OF SHIT HAPPENING. No character is the same when under a lot of stress, or with lots on their mind, distraction, etc. So keep that in mind :)  
> Also hormonal Eren. So yeah.  
> Anyway enjoy~

No one was telling him anything.

Eren didn't know how bad off his husband was, if he was going to recover, if he would have permanent damage. He didn't even know what had happened. The most he had gotten was when Hanji had first appeared telling him that Levi was indeed injured.

Meanwhile a high fever had taken him and left him feeling weak and exhausted. He could barely stay awake, let alone keep food down. But despite this sickness, Eren lacked concern for himself. Instead his lucid thoughts were consumed by his developing child and injured spouse.

Due to his sudden illness, he had been moved to a private infirmary room. Jean and Connie had been the ones to walk him there, at least until his legs had given out completely and he had relied solely on their strength.

He looked up blearily as the door to his new room opened to reveal Mikasa.

She approached the bed slowly, “How are you feeling, Eren?”

He had only seen her once since the expedition. She had an odd bruise or two on her face, no doubt results of combat. But otherwise she just looked tired, which was a bit unusual in itself. Eren blinked when she placed a gentle hand on his forehead.

“Eren?” She prodded.

“Mmm’fine,” he finally answered weakly.

Her dark eyes held disapproval, “No you’re not. You’ve got a high fever again. Have you eaten anything?”

His gaze wandered to the window, “...Can’t keep anything down.”

Mikasa gave a ragged sigh, “Well you need to try, for your child.”

An odd sense of anger welled up in his stomach, “I’ve  _ tried _ , Mikasa. But every bite tastes like sand, then it curdles in my stomach and comes right back up. I’m not wasting anymore food.”

She was quiet for a few moments, then her knitted brow relaxed. “Eren-”

“How is Levi?”

The question caught her a bit off guard. But instead of answering, she turned her head away. She couldn’t tell him, no one could - Hanji had ordered everyone into silence after having pointed out that the stress could affect him severely.

Eren’s eyes found her face, “Mikasa…  _ please _ . I need to know.” His voice cracked with desperation, “I can’t stand not knowing… I just.. Tell me if he’s alive.” The mere thought that his beloved spouse might be gone had his heart racing and stomach churning, but the thought that he was lying injured in bed with no one at his side was just as sickening.

His sister shook her head reluctantly, “I..I can’t, Eren. I’m sorry.”

“I deserve to know! Why won’t anyone tell me!?” Tears sprung to his eyes. He was so tired and aggravated and.. scared. He was scared out of his mind. It was a raw and powerful fear that he hadn’t felt so potently perhaps since his mother’s death. It was chipping away at him slowly but surely.

His gut twisted in a disgusting way. He lurched up and bent over the side of the bed, gagging harshly over the bin that was placed there.

“Eren!” Mikasa was at his side instantly, rubbing at his back in a soothing manner.

After a few dry heaves, Eren sat back a bit. Tears still cascaded down his face with his emotional misery. “D-Dammit,” he cursed weakly.

The raven haired woman felt conflicted. Withholding Levi’s state of being seemed to only stress her brother out more, so perhaps he should know. She bit at her lip absently, uncertainty clear in her posture. A sudden weight falling onto her lap immediately alerted her from her thoughts.

Her heart sank as she beheld the other’s form slumped against her, red flush high on his cheeks and forehead shiny with sweat. Even his breathing was a bit labored. “Eren…” she murmured, resituating him on the bed. “I’m sorry,” she apologized again.

He had fallen back into his state of half consciousness.

* * *

 

His lids were heavy, and though he knew he was dreaming and could wake at any moment, his eyes wouldn't lift. His dreams were too sweet and reality much too strong.

Before his closed lids the ocean laid, and with it his husband, lounging on the soft white sand. The sea's waves were lapping at the shore, crystal blue, just like in all of the stories and books he'd read with Armin. Levi was safe and happy--a peaceful smile ghosting his lips as he stood by the calm waves, body strong, not bleeding, not screaming in agony or being devoured by the darkness.

No, he was safe and sound. The man lifted his head from his position on the sands, looking to him with that sweet smirk. He lifted his hand and motioned him over. 

When Eren moved his legs, he didn't find them chained to the ground--they were free and light as he approached the raven haired man. He could feel the sand licking his toes, warm and soft. Levi reached his hand out, and he could feel the man's warmth as he took his hand. Every finger felt real. A sense of longing rose in his gut.

A taut pair of lips touched his own and he relaxed into the feeling, missing the touch of his lover, not caring if it was a dream or not. Any chance to be with Levi was one Eren would take. There was a soft tug on his pant leg and he looked down.

"Daddy!"

An excited breath escaped him as he took in the small child hugging his leg. In the dream, the child's appearance was vivid, but the face once he awoke was disrupted and blurry. The only thing he could remember was the image of identical teal pools looking up at him in adoration, and a squeal of joy as the child was swiped up by his father. Levi smothered the laughing child in a hug, planting a rough kiss on its head. 

Everything was perfectly at peace.

Time had slowed, and it felt like hours that Eren was there, resting in Levi's arms on the misty dream shore. Their child was snuggled in between them, sleeping peacefully. 

Why couldn't real life be so calm? The sweet dream had him cringing when he snapped awake, trapped in his room on bedrest and lacking a certain Corporal by his side. A painful loneliness settled in his chest as he clutched the bedsheets.

Levi wasn't back yet. They weren't relaxing on the possibly nonexistent beach. He was alone. And Levi was injured--possibly dead.

He felt his heart sink and tears fill his eyes in fear for his lover.

Then there was a quick knock on the door before it opened. Hanji entered, appearing slightly disheveled, her shirt out of place and messy, a few spots of blood dotting her attire. He gulped-- _ that wasn't Levi's blood was it? _ He opened his mouth to ask but couldn't form words through the lump in his throat. Instead he squeaked a halfhearted greeting.

"Hi, Eren. I'm just here to check how you're doing," she stated dully, coming forth and immediately checking his pulse and other vitals, no other words exchanged.

Eren eyed her suspiciously as she moved to feel his pregnant stomach.  _ Was everyone just going to pretend that Levi hadn't been injured? Why weren't they telling him anything?! _

"Where's Levi?" he interrogated.

She made no move to answer him. She merely continued to check his growth and overall health. 

"Hanji. Where the fuck is he?!" he yelled, unable to stop the panic rising in his stomach at the unknown condition of his husband.

The scientist said nothing. Her hand came up to check his temperature and he smacked it away, fire burning in his bright eyes. Hanji was taken aback a moment, and withdrew, taking a stand.

"Eren, I can't--"

"Why the hell not?! He's my husband! I deserve to fucking know! Where is he?!" he shouted at her, "Is he injured? Is it bad? Is he  _ dead?!" _

"Eren, please I can't--"

"NO!!" 

He was hysterical now, tears rolling down his cheeks in fat drops as he fought to put force into his words instead of breaking into uncontrollable sobs. His breathing became ragged as panic rose further and further up the back of his throat, threatening to make him empty his already void stomach. Eren couldn't control himself, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't focus on anything except the harrowing absence of the person he loved the most.

"Hanji, please...I just need to know something!! Please....just tell me he isn't dead...I-I--" 

The dam broke and Eren's choked down sobs exploded from him, leaving him a mess of tears and snot. The scientist watched him, her heart broken, wanting to comfort the shifter but also aware that the only thing that would was her comrade's return--something which was impossible.

So instead she listened patiently to his woeful cries, staring painfully at the floor.

He settled down after about ten minutes, enough that Hanji could finish her examination in peace. Eren was staring off into the room the whole time, evident depression dulling the light in his aqua eyes as he lost himself in space. He looked dead at heart and soul. Hanji bit her lip as she stood, contemplating.

"Eren..."

The teen's bowed head barely lifted to the sound of her voice, eyes still lost in a labyrinth of sorrow and self hate.

"He's alive."

His eyes watered a bit as they made contact with hers for just a moment.

"Thank you," he murmured hoarsely, eyes falling again and hands going to cradle his head as he slumped in the bed.

As Hanji left, she could hear quiet whimpering and cries of her friend's name emanating from the closed door.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! 200 kudos! Thanks everyone for being the awesome readers that you are. Sorry for torturing you with these most recent chapters haha. But things will start looking up soon :)  
> Enjoy and thanks for all your wonderful reviews~

Someone was in the room when he next became aware. Eren remained still, deciding to let whoever it was think he was still sleeping.

“Can’t believe they made me do this,” a familiar voice grumbled. Jean fumbled with something and then grunted, “Dumbass.” He seemed to linger for a moment, but then made for the door.

With that, the other male exited the room.

He waited a few minutes after the door had closed before he made his move. He was done waiting for answers. If no one would tell him anything more about Levi, then he was going to find out by going to his lover.

Eren peered around the room with one eye opened, pleased to find it empty. He sat up carefully, groaning quietly with effort. With a soft pat to his stomach, he moved to stand. Shivers ran through him as his foot met the cold floor and his blankets fell away. He hobbled for only a moment before he moved forward, legs still unsteady. 

“Come on you weakling,” he muttered to himself, “this is nothing.” 

It took him a second too long to realize he had already pushed the door open and was out in the hallway. He didn’t remember looking to make sure it was clear. Despite this, he began moving down the hall towards the main infirmary where he knew he would find his spouse. His legs shook with exertion, but he pushed past it.

_ Levi _ … he needed to see his spouse. He deserved to have someone there at his bedside in his time of need.

Eren’s vision slanted, making him stumble into the wall desperately to stay up. “No….” he cried weakly, “L-Levi needs me…” He peered forward again, taking a couple more shaky steps forward. The infirmary door was so close.. But then black spots invaded his vision and he knew no more.

* * *

A loud thump came from outside the room and immediately Hanji was alert. She went towards the door cautiously. “Moblit,” she hissed, “stay at his side, just in case.” They had already had one intruder after Eren; so if word had gotten out that Levi had been injured, what was to stop them from trying to go after him as well?

He nodded tersely, shifting himself into a ready position.

The brunette then opened the door carefully, peering out into the hallway for the source of the sound. Her brain froze momentarily as she took in her favorite cadet’s motionless form on the ground.

“Shit,” she growled. Two things hit her immediately - his head was bleeding and he was more front faced than side faced; neither of which meant anything good.

“Moblit! Get out here,” she shouted to her trusty assistant. She rolled Eren onto his back and looked for the source of his bleeding. A small laceration on his temple made itself known through the blood seeping from the wound. The amount of blood didn’t exactly alarm her as head wounds tended to bleed unnecessary amounts.

“E-Eren? What is he doing out here?” Moblit asked with surprise, kneeling down beside his superior.

Then her attention shifted to the more serious matter at hand. She placed a delicate palm on his stomach and let her eyes fall shut with concentration. “Come on baby…” she murmured, “just give me a sign that you're okay in there.”

If Eren had landed mostly on his front then there was the terrifying possibility that the force of impact had hurt the baby… possibly even killed it had the hit been hard enough.

She waited with baited breath, hand still on his protruding middle. “Come on,” she begged, “anything.. Please..”

Another minute passed and there was nothing and her heart sank. “No… please,” she called in a shaky tone, “we’ve gotten this f-far. Don’t give up now, little one.” 

It suddenly occurred to her just how attached she had become to that little lifeform. Even though the scientific part of her mind had known the risks involved. Even then, she had gotten attached. She had gotten attached… and now...

There was a kick at her hand.

Hanji jumped and beamed with a cry of: “There we go!” A breath of relief whooshed from her lungs, “Moblit, help me get Eren back to his room. His passenger seems to be okay.” With her underling’s help, they managed to heft the brunette to his feet. Together they went back to the private infirmary room where Eren was posted.

Her medical side kicked in as soon as he was fully situated back on the bed. She straightened her glasses swiftly and took a closer look at the still bleeding head wound. “Moblit, I’ll need some gauze and adhesive. His temple is still bleeding,” she called absentmindedly. 

In the meantime, she lifted his shirt to peer fully at his rounded belly. A bruise was already beginning to form where he had fallen. She winced and rubbed it ever so gently. “You’ll be feeling that when you wake up,” she muttered. 

A part of her wondered how the baby was really doing. It wasn’t exactly the first time Eren had managed to hit his stomach. There was only so much such a small being could take with such limited protection. The possibility was already there that it might come out a titan - but what if it came out deformed in some other way because of trauma?

She shook the thoughts away, deciding to be optimistic. It had given her a sign of life, that was all she needed for now.

The duo spent the next hour caring for their patient. By then, Hanji had a full catalogue of things that needed done. Everything from Eren having three daily meals to having time to stretch his legs. She couldn’t confine him to bed completely, as much as she wanted to, but she could restrict him severely. Perhaps if he finally acknowledged how weak his body currently was, he would accept her new orders more readily.

Moblit peered over her shoulder wordlessly as she wrote down yet another rule. His intelligent gaze moved back to the pregnant male after a moment. “Why do you think this fever keeps coming back?” He asked.

Hanji hummed in response, “Could be several things. The most probable cause is his body believes he is fighting some kind of infection and so a fever develops. In actuality it is just the abnormality of carrying a child.” She huffed, “I need to try and make some kind of fever reducer for him. Something that won’t interact with the baby or anything.”

“Giving yourself too much to do again,” her assistant pointed out.

She cracked a small grin, “Always. That’s what I’m good at.”

“..That and being loud,” Eren muttered from the bed.

The spectacled woman scoffed in a way that was reminiscent of Levi, “Good morning to you too, idiot! What were you thinking getting out of bed like that!? Your body is in no condition for you to be moving so drastically.”

His glassy eyes glared at her weakly, “Your fault for not telling me anything more about Levi..”

Her assistant nudged her when she went to retort.

“Oh fine,” she conceded, “but I didn’t want to stress you out. So I decided not to tell you details.”

“Which in turn only made it worse,” the titan shifter countered easily.

Hanji puffed her cheeks up in response, “Whatever. How are you feeling?”

He shifted onto his good side with a grunt of effort and then shrugged in a noncommittal way. “Bad,” he said.

Moblit had to stifle a chuckle.

The brunette grinned, “Thanks for the status update there, my little titan. I’ll be keeping a closer eye on you now. Especially since I know how dire things have gotten.” She snapped, “Ah! That reminds me - no getting out of bed unless someone is here to help you.”

Eren stared at her in disbelief, “W-What?”

She looked to him sternly, the way a mother would a disobedient child. “You heard me, Eren. Your body is weak and a bit malnourished because you can’t keep anything down. So we’re going to have to build your strength back up little by little. Until I think you’re strong enough, no getting up without assistance.”

He frowned. “I don’t need to be coddled,” he grumbled.

“You could have lost the baby,” she broke in suddenly, feeling fed up with his denial as to what his condition was.

His head snapped in her direction, shock written all over his features.

Hanji looked back at him steadily, “Did you even notice the needle that’s feeding fluids into you? You were so dehydrated I had to put one in you. On top of that, you very well may have hurt the baby falling like you did! You keep on this course and you  _ will _ miscarry, Eren.”

Moblit put a hand on her arm, which stopped her from saying anymore.

She ran a hand through her unruly locks in exasperation, “I’ll… leave you for now. I’ll station Moblit just outside in case you need him.” Hanji got up and left the room after that, unable to look at the look of shock and sadness that marred her favorite cadet’s face.

Guilty as she felt for having said such a thing, she didn’t necessarily regret it. If he wouldn’t accept his physical weakness as a warning, then maybe her spelled out warning would finally get the message through. He needed to acknowledge that this wasn’t something that would just pass on like nothing. It would probably linger and fester.

When she finally found it in herself to return to the room, hours later, Moblit informed her that he had tried to escape the room three more times before finally conceding and seemingly giving up.

The woman couldn’t help a sigh as she took in the teen’s disheveled state. His fever had returned yet again, bringing dreams along with it. She stayed with him and comforted him for a few hours. Half of her wanting to make up for her harsh words, and half of her wanting to coddle him against his wishes. Because whether he liked it or not, Eren had pretty much become one of her favorites.

* * *

His nightmares had been rather consistent, with hardly any gaps in between. He couldn’t really tell what was real anymore. Sometimes the images he saw made him feel physically sick - their macabre scenes so detailed. Eren had lost count of how many times he had thrown up from the bloody and grotesque displays of his comrades being decimated before him.

He tossed fitfully in bed, sweat gathering at his forehead from the low grade fever he had been running. His delirious thoughts kept returning to Levi. Even in the fogginess of his mind, he recalled that Hanji had said he was alive. But that didn’t necessarily mean he would make it. Perhaps his injuries were too great and he was dying.

The dull pounding of his heartbeat in his ears slowly increased in volume. Surely they wouldn’t be so cruel as to keep something like that from him. And yet, he had heard no further news on the wellbeing of his spouse.

His head was spinning. A low whine escaped his lips as he rolled his head about on the pillow. He needed to  _ know _ .

Suddenly there was a cool hand at his forehead.

It gave him pause. Eren peeled back his eyelids to peer around feverishly. His vision was blurred but he managed to focus on a figure to his left. He blinked heavily in their direction, trying desperately to get his eyes to cooperate. “W-Who..?”

“Shhh,” came a familiar voice, “rest, Eren.”

His sluggish mind struggled to register the resonance, and then it hit him. His gaze widened as he finally managed to focus completely on his husband’s face, “L-... Levi..?”

An exhausted smile came onto the other’s face, “Yeah it’s me, brat.” The cool hand that had been placed at his forehead then moved to lightly stroke his cheek.

This time it was tears that blurred his vision, ”LEVI!” He ignored the dizziness and nausea he felt to sit up and latch onto the man.

“H-Hey not so hard,” the Corporal scolded with a hiss.

Eren gasped and backed away, becoming hyper aware of the various bandages that littered his lover’s form. “Oh god Levi… I-” He was interrupted when Levi pulled him back to his right shoulder. He accepted the new position and gently worked an arm around the other’s smaller frame.

The familiar scent of his partner filled his heart and chipped away at the fog surrounding his mind. He cried into that firm shoulder, choking on his own shaky breaths. “Y-You’re here…. You’re not dead… oh thank god….” He blubbered.

Levi was quiet for a long while before he said anything. “..Of course,” he finally said. His right hand moved to the growing stomach that took up residence between them as his eyes looked into those bright ones he had envisioned even in unconsciousness. “I had something to come back for.”

He didn’t think he’d ever tell the teen the truth of the matter - he had nearly been dead. So nearly that his long deceased mother had appeared to him, if only for a moment. In all of his life, Levi couldn’t think of a time when he had come quite so close to death.

His thoughts were broken by Eren reluctantly pulling away and wiping frantically at his wet eyes. He watched wordlessly, his good hand placed on his lover’s knee.

The brunette sniffled and finally looked at him, eyes raking over his form. Eren’s heart sunk as he catalogued all the injuries. Some kind of head injury based on the wrappings about his head. His entire left arm was engulfed in bandages and hung in a sling. He could also see the bulkiness of wrappings under the white button down Levi wore.

Tears again came to his eyes as he realized the severity of his spouse’s wounds. “I-Is anything permanent?”

“Hanji isn't sure yet,” he replied dully. “Though I’m sure she’ll be surprised to see me up and about,” he then muttered, more to himself.

Eren let his head rest again on his lover’s right shoulder, “You shouldn't push yourself…”

“Nor should you,” came the sarcastic retort. Those dearly familiar eyes gazed up pointedly to his bandaged temple.

He bowed his head in shame, “I know… I… I just…”

“It’s alright,” Levi murmured, “I understand.”

The two sat in a comfortable silence after that, neither relinquishing their hold on each other.

* * *

Eren wasn’t exactly sure when he had fallen asleep, but when he woke up Levi was gone. He sat up quickly in bed, the action causing his stomach to spin, and looked around. He definitely was gone, and it made Eren wonder if perhaps he had dreamed the whole thing--Levi coming in and comforting him. He had been having a lot of lucid dreams lately, so it wouldn’t be unheard of.

Tears began to well in his eyes. If it  _ had _ been a dream, then what condition was Levi  _ really _ in? Everyone had been keeping him fairly in the dark on things, and since Hanji had recently restricted him from leaving the bed without help, there had been no chance for him to get up and actually see his lover. He could’ve been dying, and Eren would have no way of knowing.

He swung his legs over the bed, determined to stumble down to the main infirmary despite Hanji’s stupid subscription of bedrest.

The door was thrown open then, making the teen squeak as he drew his legs back into the bed.

Hanji sauntered in with a sombre face, eyeing the shifter suspiciously as he wriggled to get back under his covers.

“Eren, how many times do I have to tell you to not get out of the bed without someone here?” she sighed dramatically.

The teen laughed anxiously, rubbing the back of his neck and shrugging off her accusations.

The scientist rolled her eyes before grinning widely, “Levi woke up this morning.”

Eren took a sharp breath.  _ So he had been out all this time _ . His gut wrenched in sorrow. Hanji seemed to notice his discomfort as she crossed the room to approach her patient.

“But it’ll still be a while before he can get out of bed. He’s pretty weak. I caught him out of bed this morning and--”

“You did?! You mean he actually got up?”

Maybe it hadn’t been a dream.

Hanji smiled, “Yeah. The stubborn shorty was pretty much stumbling out of your room this morning. I assume he came to see you, but you were probably asleep.”

Eren sighed, a soft smile gracing his lips.

_ Thank you, Levi. _


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the reviews and favorites. You guys rock, thank you for being so invested in this story! :)  
> Enjoy~

Hanji couldn’t stop her sigh of relief as she entered the infirmary and laid eyes on Levi who was sitting up slightly in his bed. “You know,” she called as she approached, “as mad as I am about your escape this morning, I am  _ so _ glad you’re awake.”

He tossed her a glare in response, though its effects were weakened with exhaustion and a bit of pain. “Shut it, shitty glasses,” he snapped, voice a tad hoarse.

“No really,” she urged as she handed him a glass of water. “Maybe Eren will start getting better too. Heck, maybe he’ll even listen to you.”

Levi shifted, “That bad, huh?”

“Worse. I had to start giving him fluids intravenously because he was getting so dehydrated. I don’t even know how long it’s been since he has had a good, filling meal and kept it down.” The woman ran a hand through her hair with exasperation, her stress over the matter beginning to show.

Those sharp silver eyes narrowed, “There’s something you’re not saying.”

Hanji bit absently at her lip, “He almost lost the baby.”

The silence that followed threatened to swallow her, so she swiftly continued.

“He was so damn close to a miscarriage.. I don’t think I would have been able to do a thing about it either.”

His good hand twisted tightly around the sheets.

Her brown eyes sought him out imploringly, “So I need you to get better, Levi. Not just for your sake, but Eren’s too.”

“How long do you think that will take?”

She eyed the mass of bandages that was his left arm carefully. “It depends on how quick you can heal and how bad the damage is. Minimum I would say five weeks, probably more.”

To his credit, Levi took the news in stride quite well. “Fuck this…” he hissed.

The researcher gave a humorless chuckle in response, “I don’t know if you understand how lucky you are, Levi. Be grateful things weren’t worse. Although… admittedly I thought I was going to lose you for a bit there.”

His gaze didn’t raise to meet hers, “I know more than you might think. I was too close.”

Just that small admission was enough to completely stun her. She floundered a moment for words before giving up. For Levi to be acknowledging how close he had been to dying was frightening. Normally he brushed her off and told her she was overreacting. But.. he was  _ agreeing _ with her and that… that was terrifying.

“Well,” she finally said, “that’s in the past… Now we can focus on your recovery.”

* * *

The next time Levi woke, he was in a sweat. He hated himself as he looked down over his slightly sticky nightshirt, feeling disgusting. He hadn't taken a shower in what seemed like forever.

He let out a groan of discomfort as he shifted out from under the smothering covers. 

"Levi?"

His head snapped to the bed beside him, thin eyes widening as he took in the form of his lover lounging on the spare cot.

"What the hell?!" the shorter yelled, unprepared for the shock as he awoke from his fever dazed nightmares.

The teen laughed lightly, smile genuine and bright in that gold tinged way only he could muster. Levi's softened heart skipped just from looking into those warm green eyes. Eren practically glowed these days, and it wasn't just one of those stupid pregnancy sayings. When Eren was happy, his entire being radiated a kind of warmth--one that Levi couldn't help but gravitate to. That kind of warm heart was rare.

"I made Hanji help me down here so I could sit with you today," he explained sweetly, wringing his hands almost as if he were nervous.

The older smirked.

"Is that so?"

Eren nodded.

"Well then why the fuck are you lying over there? If you're here to keep me company or whatever then get the hell over here," Levi chided with a click of his tongue. 

His pregnant lover scoffed halfheartedly before sitting up carefully around his swollen midsection.

The injured raven watched with interest, eyes locked on the ever growing belly of his love. Though he wasn’t entirely sure how long it had been since the expedition, he was quite sure that Eren’s stomach had grown.

A gentle hand found his cheek, “What are you thinking about?”

He shifted his gaze upwards to meet those vibrant eyes, “You’ve gotten bigger.”

Those cheeks flushed in a beautiful way. “I-Is that bad?” He asked shyly, shuffling from the side of the bed.

Levi reached out with his good hand, pulling the younger to the bed. “Of course not,” he chided, “our baby is growing and that’s good. I was merely noticing the difference.”

Eren hummed and settled against him comfortably, his body practically radiating heat.

“Ugh, I’m still sweaty Eren,” his senior chastised, shifting away with a wince.

“You say that like I care,” came the content response. The brunette then proceeded to huddle closer, being careful not to hold him too closely in fear of hurting him.

He wrinkled his nose, “No but I care, and I'm disgusting.”

“Hmmm don’t care,” his voice was muffled, seeing as he had his face pressed into Levi’s good shoulder. 

“Eren, for fuck’s sake, don’t smother yourself in this disgusting shirt,” the man grumbled, half of him giving up.

He pulled back enough to reveal a mischievous grin, “Sorry, couldn’t hear you over the sound of me not caring.”

Levi’s gray eyes narrowed towards him as he pinched his side with expert precision. “You cheeky little shit.”

The titan shifter relaxed against him once more, then guided his good hand to his extruding bump. “We missed you, Levi. I’m glad you’re awake.” He chuckled a bit when there came a kick from their child. “See?”

There was a soft hum from his husband at the strong kick of their child. Levi gave him a weak smile, pulling the younger even closer so that he could wrap his arm all the way around his pregnant stomach. He ran his free hand over the bump and nuzzled against his lover’s ear. Eren laughed when he felt Levi’s hair tickle his face.

“I love you so much, you fucking bastard,” came the rough purr.

Eren chuckled a bit and leaned back so that he could place a quick kiss on his husband’s cheek.

“Well I love you too,  _ babe _ ,” the shifter teased with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

Levi scoffed and pinched his side, leaning in closer again to kiss the young man’s sensitive neck. Eren mewled at the attention and leaned back into the touch. 

“Ow, ow, hey don’t press back against me so hard, dipshit,” the captain scolded with a sharp hiss.

Eren snapped away and turned on the bed to examine his husband. How could he be so dumb? Levi had just come back from an expedition...and he had been severely injured at that. He gave himself a moment to recollect himself, eyeing once again every little nook and cranny of his lover’s form and cataloguing the injuries. A loose bandage wrapped around his raven locks, one arm stilted and hung in large sling, and a chest puffed out with bandages underneath his shirt. Eren’s face fell as he noticed all the damage that had been done unto his husband.

“What  _ happened _ to you, Levi…?” he asked.

Levi struggled to even hear him, his voice had become so soft and trodden on. The man sighed and reached out, taking one of Eren’s hands in his own and examining it with a blank expression.

“A lot,” he admitted quietly, “But none of that shit matters now.”

Those beautiful eyes sparkling with frustrated tears. Levi could see the brat was about to throw a fit, so he opened his mouth to speak before he was torn apart by the tornado of emotions that was Eren Ackerman.

“Eren, please, I just don’t want to think about that shit right now, okay?”

He sighed.

“Levi…”

“I was really close, Eren. I was. But I’m not dead, and I’m not ever being that fucking  _ stupid _ again so it’s fine.”

“D-did you just get distracted or something?” the brunette asked, suddenly attached to his husband’s good arm like glue again. He seemed hesitant to let him go at the new information he’d received.

The dark-haired man shook his head and scoffed, “Tch...I was...fucking thinking about you and the baby. And I fucked up. I did the same damn thing fucking  _ new _ recruits do on their first fucking expedition.”

Eren frowned. Maybe once upon a time he would’ve scolded his husband for acting rashly...but then again this had been the first time he’d done that, hadn’t it? Levi was always rational, always calm in the heat of the moment. And the first time he breaks, he gets hurt.  _ And _ beats himself up over his carelessness. It wasn’t fair, he decided--the man wasn’t perfect, he didn’t have to hold himself to such ridiculous standards.

He needed to know that.

“You’re not perfect, L-Levi...shit happens,” Eren breathed, hugging close to him, letting him know that he was here no matter what.

“Shut up, brat. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Eren wanted to argue again, but knew better than to start that right now. Levi was in pain, and upset with himself--and Eren wasn’t that shitty of a husband to criticize his aloof nature when he was already being down on himself. So instead he nuzzled up against him and nodded in acceptance.

“Fine. Later then.”

The man grumbled a bit, but unless he wanted to argue there wasn’t anything he could say. Instead he allowed his brat to snuggle up so that he could lay his head on his lap, like they always laid.

“Hey Levi?”

He groaned.

“What, brat?”

“What gender do you think our baby is?”

The man’s face softened a bit, rubbing a soothing hand on the younger’s back.

“How the hell should I know?” Levi scoffed.

Eren laughed a bit, sitting up so that he could look into his lover’s eyes. He crossed his arms on Levi’s knees and set his chin on top. He looked up at Levi from his new position, a bright spark in his eyes.

“Ok yeah, smartass. But like, what do you want? Or hope it is?”

Levi sighed, rolling his eyes and looking up at the ceiling in mock thought. 

“I don’t fucking know. Maybe a girl.”

Eren grinned a wild grin. That was the  _ last  _ thing he’d expected to hear. Well, there were really only two things he could have said, but he’d mostly just expected the man to brush him off and tell him it was a dumb question. He could just imagine it: Levi, cradling a smiling baby girl to himself, cooing over her and doting on how to get her wild hair out of her face, or how to dress her up for the day. Maybe his husband was fond of little baby girls in fluffy, pink skirts...

“A girl…” the teen sighed dreamily.

Levi scoffed at him, “A girl so that I wouldn’t have to deal with a carbon copy of one of us. I would fucking kill myself if I had to deal with  _ two _ of you. Especially one under the age of ten.”

“H-hey!”

The brunette’s nose flared as he glared at his chuckling, bastard lover. 

“You asked, so I told you the truth,” he pointed out.

It didn’t make things any better. He pouted from his position.

A moment of comfortable silence passed between them. Then the older of the two looked at the other with softened eyes, “What do you want the baby to be, Eren?”

Eren flushed at the sweet sincerity in Levi’s tone. He sat up and shrugged half heartedly, “I dunno,” he said. But then he thought about it and grinned, “Actually, I’d love to have a little version of you.”

“Of course you would,” came the slightly teasing reply.

He stuck his tongue out.

The corner of Levi’s mouth twitched upwards, “Stick that tongue out again and I might just bite it.”

* * *

It was not too long after that Eren fell asleep, curling up on the Captain's lap like a lovesick puppy. Levi could finally breathe, and it wasn't because Eren could suck the air out of the room with his excessive chatting. It was because every time he took a deep breath his lungs felt like they were being torn apart. He could feel his ribs crunching when he moved, the broken pieces still trying to find each other to bind into one once again. Every breath hurt like hell, but he'd be damned if he let Eren see him showing weakness.

So he'd held his breath, and ignored the pain as long as he could. It was a blessing he had fallen asleep when he did, because he had been close to letting out his moans of pain. Levi watched his brat's peaceful, sleeping face, relaxed, without pain and thanked whatever god there might be that he was the one who was safe and warm. He stroked a brown hair from the teen's eyes, sucking in a painful breath that made him wince.

Looking down on his pregnant lover, he decided. Any amount of pain was manageable as long as Eren was happy. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

Hanji quietly opened the door to the infirmary, in case the room’s only occupant was still sleeping. She peered into the darkened room cautiously but easily spotted Levi’s form sitting up in the bed. He was looking out the window, head turned away from her.

She approached wordlessly, not really wanting to disturb him. But once she was fully positioned at his bedside and he still gave no acknowledgement of her presence, she decided to alert him to it.

“Hey shorty,” she greeted with her normal range of eccentricity.

He visibly flinched and whipped his head to face her, looking a bit startled as he did. Levi glowered when he realized what had been said, “Fucking woman! Don't come so fucking close and talk so loud.”

Hanji, meanwhile, was very surprised. “Wait you mean you didn't hear me come in?”

“How the hell would I hear that from this far?” His tone was annoyed and yet tired.

In all the years she had known the man, she had never once been able to enter a room without him hearing the slightest sound from the door. It simply wasn't possible to enter his range of hearing without being detected. She supposed that was from his time in the underground, strengthening his senses for self preservation.

So to have actually, and unintentionally, startled him when she wasn't even trying shouldn't have been possible.

“No.. Levi you  _ always  _ hear me,” she argued in confusion.

He seemed to realize it as well and stared back at her stoically. Though she could see the slightest build up of tension in his shoulders.

Her frantic thoughts went back to what Levi’s squad had told her of the expedition and the events that had led up to his untimely injury and near death. She was forgetting something. Then it hit her.

_ “That… thing picked him up like nothing. It shook him around like some sort of toy…” Jean had said. _

_ “H-He was screaming so badly… We thought it had torn off one of his limbs,” Sasha mentioned with a shudder. _

_ Connie continued from there, “Then it brought him to its face and roared. It was damn near ear shattering from our position below. I can't imagine how loud it must've been to him…” _

A sinking feeling engulfed her chest. Hanji swallowed nervously and looked back anxiously to her wounded comrade. “You really didn't hear me come in?”

Levi shook his head mutely.

She bit at her lip, “Okay… Bear with me for a minute here. I'm going to make some noises and whispers; tell me if you hear them.”

His brow furrowed a bit, “Hanji.. What does this-”

“Please,” she pleaded, “I need to test this.”

He released a ragged sigh, wincing just slightly as he did, but nodded.

By the end of her short test, Hanji was only feeling worse about the whole thing. She remained quiet at his bedside, considering the results.

Levi watched her with a careful eye, “Now what the fuck was that for?”

There was no sense in lying to him. She ran an anxious hand through her bangs. “During the incident,” she began, “the titan that had you in its hold apparently roared at full volume. The cadets in your squad told me that it was half deafening for them on the ground below…”

“Yeah..so?” His annoyance was obviously growing.

“You were right in front of its face when that happened, Levi.” Her brown eyes looked up to him, willing him to understand. “You were bleeding at the ears when I got to you,” she continued in a softer tone of voice, being sure to not be too quiet. “Initially I thought nothing of it, figuring it was part of your head wound… But now..”

Levi was silent. “It fucked up my hearing?”

“You've always had stronger hearing than the rest of us, but now it seems your ability to hear quiet frequencies has been hindered,” she replied factually, trying desperately to keep the sadness from her voice.

A long silence passed between them.

Hanji looked to her comrade anxiously, “Levi-”

“Is it permanent?” Came the almost cautious sounding question.

She couldn't lie to him. The brunette bit her lip again, casting her eyes downwards.

Levi shifted his gaze away, “I see..”

There was something in the intonation of those words that tore at her heart. “I'm sorry,” she breathed, “I can do a lot, don't get me wrong… but even I can't bring back your sensitive hearing.”

“Shut the fuck up,” he snapped, fist tight on his blankets. “You make it sound like I've lost something precious, but this is fucking nothing compared to what most have lost.”

“I know.. but you've still lost something,” she defended lightly, “and it is still something that won't come back. You'll still have to adjust.” Hanji sighed, “I'm just sorry that it happened and that I can't do anything.”

“My sensitivity to sound wasn't a vital part of my being, it doesn't fucking matter that it's gone.”

Hanji bowed her head in defeat, “Yeah.. Okay fine.” She stood from her chair, “If something changes, let me know.”

As she neared the door, something else occurred to her. “Once you heal up a bit, I'd like to explore this further to see how deeply your hearing has been affected. It might be more than your sensitivity to quiet frequencies that has been altered.”

“Whatever,” was his only reply.

The woman left then, shutting the door with a bit of force so as to ensure the patient within heard. As she started down the hall, her brain got thinking again.

Levi had said it wasn’t a big deal, but it was. The majority of his life he had relied on his sharp hearing to keep himself safe. Granted it hadn’t always worked, but from the few stories he had told her, it had certainly saved him more than once. His very instincts had adapted around his sensitivity to sound.

So to suddenly have that sensitivity ripped from him, had to upset his base structure. He would have to evolve a bit to accommodate the change. It was ultimately a small thing to outsiders, but to him it was something rather sizeable. Some of his habits would change, his perception of sound would be different - perhaps more damaged than she realized.

She knew he would adapt, but until then it was a source of vulnerability. Hanji contemplated telling Eren for only a moment but ultimately decided it was Levi’s job to tell him.

Hanji sighed tiredly. Between Eren and Levi, she could hardly catch a break. A small smile worked onto her face as she continued on to her lab.

Of course, in the grand scheme of things, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

* * *

By midweek, Hanji had deemed Levi healed enough for him to move around with some restrictions. She kept up with his bandages, always making sure his ribs were bound with enough pressure to help him breathe. The woman couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly he seemed to be healing, it was nearly Eren’s usual healing pace which was admittedly a bit concerning.

While her worry over her raven haired friend decreased, her worries instead increased for Eren. The fever he had been fighting for the last couple of weeks seemed determined to hang on. Hanji made it her top priority to try and get his nutrition back up to where it should be. That and trying to figure out a way to stem the fever that constantly plagued him.

She worked herself endlessly, stopping only for the occasional rest. If anyone was going to help the teen out of his sickness, it was Hanji.

* * *

When Eren finally became aware again, there was a cool hand against his cheek, moving ever so gently. He leaned instinctively into the touch, peeling his eyes back with a bit of effort.

A small smile appeared as he took in his lover sitting at his side. “You're here,” he croaked.

“Yes,” Levi replied, “and you're still here, and still sick.”

Eren’s smile didn’t fade, “Yeah… I seem to be good at that.”

“Unfortunately,” came the dull retort.

The brunette was silent for a bit as he looked over his spouse, tired eyes raking over the bandages that still were scattered about the other’s form. “Are you better?”

He shook his head a bit, “Don’t worry so much about me, I’ll be fine soon enough.”

“But you  _ are _ a bit better, aren’t you?” The question was pleading, as though begging him to give a direct answer.

“Yes,” Levi relented, “I’m getting there, so you need to focus on recovering too, shitface.”

The use of the nickname brought the small smile back to the teen’s face. “Good,” he breathed, settling back more on the bed.

“How are you feeling?” He asked in return, gray eyes looking at him with scrutiny.

Eren gave a half shrug, “Sore, tired and.. sick I guess.”

Levi rolled his eyes, “Thank you for the specifics there, shit for brains.”

He childishly stuck out his tongue. “My muscles have been aching more than usual, I almost constantly have a headache, I still can’t eat much, and I’m just _ so _ tired. I feel like I could sleep for days and still not have enough sleep.”

“Well you are running on about empty and the baby is still sharing your nutrients,” another voice cut in, “so the exhaustion makes sense.”

The duo turned to find Hanji standing there.

She waved slightly, “Sorry to cut in like that. But your extreme exhaustion makes sense to me. We do need to try and get more food and water into you though. You’ve not had anything filling stay down for a solid week or so.”

A look of guilt crossed the teen’s face as he sent an anxious glance to his stomach.

“Which isn't your fault,” she quickly added. “You can't help that your body is fighting this, we’ll just have to work harder at combatting it.”

“Why do I feel like our room is going to be a godawful mess from all of this?” Levi muttered.

Hanji crossed her arms, “Actually I think I'm going to keep Eren here until he has the baby. I have all the supplies in here and he’s already mostly settled… so…”

Levi looked around in distaste, “You want us to stay in here for another month and a half?”

“Well at least Eren,” she shot back, “you, on the other hand, are allowed to go back to the room if you want.”

A sharp raven brow rose in response, arms crossed.

The woman chuckled a bit nervously, “Right - I forgot. Package deal and all..” She sighed, “I mean if you two really want to go back to your room, I won’t stop you; but I really do want him in this room when it comes time for the baby.”

Eren laid lax against his pillows, eyes looking at them lazily. “Let’s just stay in here, Levi. I don’t have the energy to handle being moved. We’ll make it until the baby is ready.”

He wrinkled his nose a bit, “Fine. But I want our bed brought in. I can’t fit in this bed and I’m not sleeping on that… thing over there.”

That earned him a small laugh from his love. “It’s just a couch, babe,” he pointed out.

“That probably has thousands of dust mites and god knows what else on it.”

Hanji, meanwhile, had paled, “You want your bed in  _ here _ ?” 

Their bed had been handmade for them, seeing as all the other beds for Main HQ were singles or doubles. Theirs was a queen sized one with a carved wooden frame. Hence, it was both large and cumbersome.

She let lose an unsteady breath, “Well… I suppose we can. It’s going to require a lot of manpower. We can put the single bed aside for now. Anything else?”

“Yes, I’ll need a desk. I’m sure there’s paperwork to be done. We can put it against that wall, there,” Levi said.

She nodded, “Okay that’s a bit more manageable… anything else?”

The raven tapped absently at his chin with thought, “Not right now, Eren is there anything you want?” A lack of response made him turn, only to find the other male asleep once more.

His brunette companion furrowed her brow and placed a delicate hand on the younger’s forehead, “Still running a low grade fever.”

“Is this part of his body rejecting the pregnancy as well?”

“Yeah, I think so,” she confirmed. Hanji brushed back his bangs with a small sigh, “My poor little titan.”

“ _ My  _ titan,” Levi asserted quietly.

The older approached the bed and sat on the edge, scooping up one of his lover’s hands in his own. He ran the pad of his thumb over the knuckles. “Will this pass?” He asked suddenly.

“I’m not sure, I had hoped so. I gave him a bit of a medicine I whipped up, which wouldn’t hinder the baby any, but I’m not sure it did anything besides make him drowsy,” she said in a slightly defeated tone.

The mood change didn’t go unnoticed by the short male. He huffed quietly, “Don’t look like some kind of kicked puppy, that’s the fucking brat’s job. You can’t fix everything Hanji, just accept it and move on.”

She lifted her head, a look of mild astonishment on her face.

He raised a brow, “What?”

Hanji smiled but shook her head. Mentally she marveled at how much being with their beloved titan shifter had softened her friend. Her smile widened at the mere thought.

“Keep smiling like that and you might finally get admitted to the asylum,” Levi remarked sarcastically.

That brought a laugh from her, “You say that as though they could contain me.”

“I wonder sometimes,” he muttered.

The brunette stood up straighter, cracking her back a bit. She smirked as Levi wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Something wrong shorty?”

“The fact that even with my fucked up hearing, I can hear every crack of your spine. One day your back will just break when you do that,” he said with a look of mild disgust.

“Ha!  And by the time that day comes, I’ll have already figured out a way to fix it,” Hanji declared.

* * *

That night, Levi dreamed. It wasn’t often that it happened, and even when it did it was most often nightmares. So the somber images that floated through his head were a strange, but not unwelcome difference. 

In fact, he felt himself pulling a strange enjoyment out of them.

It was a disgustingly cliche scene; a lovely village home on the hills, smoke rising from a warm fire in the hearth, and sweet laughter filling the brisque air. The aerial view subsided and he found himself in a cozy room, stoking a fire with plenty of wood, mumbling grumpily as Eren rolled backward toward the fire’s crackling flames--tearing up from laughter as he held a smiling child above him. 

“She’s so  _ cute _ , Levi!” he oozed, tossing and bouncing the cooing baby. 

He said something like, “Whatever you say, brat,” as he stoked the flames and shook his head, smirking at his husband. 

Eren grinned that beautiful smile of his, and even in sleep Levi felt his heart skip. The bright-eyed man leaned forward and their lips met chastely before he held out the smaller, teal-eyed child towards its father. Levi rolled his eyes, pressing an equally sweet kiss on the child’s forehead. The baby giggled happily, its chubby hands reaching for its father’s embrace. Levi chuckled a bit and took the child into his hands. 

Lifting the child, he felt a sharp stab of pain from his right arm, and immediately snapped awake. He flinched, realizing that he had been dreaming and sighing. 

Levi might’ve been a stoic man, but even he wished he could have a life as calm and sweet as in his dream. He threaded his arms around Eren’s sleeping form and allowed his mind to imagine such a life as he drifted back into a dreamless sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy my darlings~  
> Keep up with your wonderful reviews! Even though you may not know it, we read all of them happily :)

The days of the following week were a bit more relaxed. Eren’s fever had finally broken and receded, much to everyone’s relief. He still had migraines, and sometimes food came right back up, but he was better.

Levi was also getting better, his ribs had almost finished mending. His shoulder was still wrapped in a bundle of bandages, though Hanji said it was mainly a precaution before they began trying to rehabilitate his muscles. 

Meanwhile she remained mystified as to why he was healing so quickly. The stubborn Corporal finally grew tired of her questioning and snapped at her. She decided it must be because, despite having been injured, Levi was listening to her suggestions as to how to recover quickly.

* * *

Eren stirred to the sound of a knock at the door. He yawned and opened his eyes blearily, noting that Levi had risen from his desk and gone to answer it.

“Hello sir, is Eren awake?”

He grinned from the bed, “Yeah I’m awake!”

Levi glanced over at him and rolled his eyes, “Come in then, Arlert.”

The blonde smiled graciously, “Sorry to disturb, I just wanted to give Eren something.” He offered a small wave as his gaze landed on his friend, “Hey Eren!”

"Armin,” he returned warmly, shifting himself into a sitting position. “So, what brings you to our humble abode?”

Off to the side, Levi scoffed and attempted to get back to work.

“This actually,” the other said, presenting a bag.

Instantly Eren’s eyes were upon it, curiosity visible on his face, “Okay… and what is  _ this _ ?”

The blonde rubbed the back of his head shyly, “Well… it’s just something I got from an elderly man while on a supply run. I’ve been meaning to give it to you for awhile now.”

“You shouldn’t have gotten me anything else,” his friend whined, “the party and baby things were enough Armin.”

Armin shrugged, “I didn’t have to pay for it, he just gave it to me. Now come on, it’ll help you pass time since you’re on bedrest.”

Eren looked defeated but amused as he reached for the bag with a mutter of, “Fine then.” He pulled out a rather hefty wrapped package and settled it on his lap delicately. He sucked in a breath suddenly and then laughed, patting his stomach softly.

“This kid has your legs, Levi,” he breathed as he began opening the gift.

A rather prideful smirk was the only response he got.

The brunette paused in shock when he finally had the package open. In his lap lay an old and weathered book… but not just any book. He looked imploringly to his best friend, eyes tearing up a bit, “A-Armin.. Is this really-?” He cut himself off, a lump forming in his throat.

Those bright blue eyes twinkled happily, “Yes. I couldn’t believe it myself….but, it’s the same one.”

He ran his hands over the worn cover, tears beginning to trickle down his cheeks. He pulled back the cover and began turning through the pages wordlessly. Memories of sitting on the riverbank and reading through those very pages with Armin stirred from the back of his mind. Back when Shiganshina was home, back when everything had seemed fine.

Eren let out a wet laugh as the dear and familiar sketches of the outside world lay themselves out before him. “I c-can’t believe it,” he wept.

He pushed the book to the side gently and brought his friend in for a tight embrace. “Thank you A-Armin,” he cried softly, “thank you so much.”

Armin chuckled and accepted the hug easily. “Heh, h-hopefully it’ll help you pass the time.”

“Definitely,” he blubbered as he slowly pulled away. The titan shifter wiped in vain at his eyes, bringing the book back to himself and cradling it.

It was one of the things he always held fondly in his memory, and now he had it in his hands. He could share the same stories and pictures with his husband and child.

Eren opened to a random page with a drawing and held it in front of him. “Look baby,” he said through the lump in his throat, “one d-day we’ll go see all of this. We’ll see every bit. Just you w-wait.”

The blonde took this time to quietly leave, but not before offering a comforting pat to the other’s shoulder.

Levi approached after a time, bringing his lover in to rest against his side. “What is this book?” He asked in a low tone of voice.

His husband smiled a bit sadly, “This is a book Armin, Mikasa and I used to look at all the time.” He flipped through a few pages, peering down at the images fondly.

“Isn’t that kind of shit taboo inside the walls?” Levi questioned carefully, scanning over the colorful pages as Eren flipped through.

Eren shrugged noncommittally, “...technically?”

Levi smirked and gave the younger a quick kiss on his brow, “Oh well.”

Eren giggled and tucked his head underneath his lover’s chin, snuggling into the niche there. Levi shook his head lightly at the action but held him close. 

“Do you think our baby will get to see the ocean one day?” the younger whispered dreamily into the calm air.

“How the fuck should I know?” Levi deadpanned.

Eren let out a ridiculous scoff, nudging his lover in the gut, “Romantic, aren’t you babe?”

Levi growled in his throat, pulling Eren closer and nipping his neck playfully, “Not in the fucking least.”

* * *

Eren awoke from his midmorning nap to find his husband, hunched over the makeshift desk they had set up in their room, signing papers, back turned and vulnerable. The shifter yawned quietly, slipping his feet over the side of the bed and softly padding onto the floor. His lips twitched into a smirk when Levi didn't seem to notice his awakening.

He began to slide his feet lightly across the floor, approaching his husband with caution, intent upon scaring him. Well, not scare him really--Eren had learned long ago that it was impossible to scare Levi, since the man was practically supersonic and could sense you approaching a mile away. More of what he was going for was the jolt of adrenaline he'd get when Levi snapped around and pulled him into his lap, pinching his side and saying something like 'you know you can't sneak up on me you little shit'.

Eren grinned at the thought.

He was closing in fast, faster than normal and Levi still seemed ignorant to his presence. Maybe he was losing his hearing in his old age? Eren almost snickered at the thought.

He was right behind him, practically breathing down his husband's neck as he grabbed the man's shoulders and shouted a loud, "Good morning!"

Levi was quick to react, but not in the way Eren had been expecting.

The man swung around, hand latching onto his arm with excessive force and quickly twisting it behind his back. Eren shrieked in pain, completely unsuspecting and confused as to why Levi was being so harsh. Tears sprung to his eyes as he struggled in his tight grip.

"L-Levi! Ow ow ow! Please stop I'm s-sorry!" Eren gasped out, beginning to panic and wondering if this was even Levi that had him locked in such a hurtful hold.

"Eren?!" Levi's hold immediately let up and Eren fell back toward the bed, cowering and glaring at his lover with tear filled emeralds.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" he yelled, "It was just a stupid joke! Ow, ow!" He cradled his sore wrist in his hold.

Levi looked horrified.

"Why the hell were you sneaking up on me?! I could've fucking killed you dumbass!" His voice sounded mad but his face was sincere and worried.

Eren's face twisted into a venomous pout as he turned his head away from the Captain.

"You should've heard me coming. You  _ always _ hear me when I sneak up on you," he sneered.

Levi sighed and sat next to Eren on the bed, fingers going to trail through his lover's hair as the younger's eyes avoided his angrily.

"I didn't hear you. I'm sorry. It was just my instincts acting, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Eren huffed and pretended to pout more (though Levi really expected it was just for more of his attention--which he didn't mind). Then something occurred to him.

"I didn't actually hurt you did I?" he asked quietly, hands reaching for his lover's.

The brunette shrugged a bit, lifting his wrist that had been twisted behind him. "You hurt my wrist a little," he said sourly.

Levi's brows knit together as he took the appendage in his hand and kissed it.

"I'm sorry..." he murmured hotly against Eren's skin, kissing his wrist a few more times for good measure. The teen squeaked a bit, cheeks heating up.

At least he was still getting the attention he wanted...

"Levi?"

"Hmm?"

Eren rubbed the back of his neck nervously, looking at the other, still wrapped in a few bandages from his incident, eyes trained on him. He frowned.

"D-did they ever figure out what kind of head injury you got?" he stuttered as his spouse continued to litter his hand and arm with kisses and nips.

How Eren's pregnancy had led to the Corporal being such an affectionate man was still a mystery to the teen.

Levi pressed another lingering kiss into his palm before lifting his head, an elegant eyebrow raising at the question.

"Why do you ask?" he purred, trailing his lips to kiss his husband's cheek.

Eren stifled a shudder.

"I-I mean..." he sighed as Levi began to rub his wrist and arm gingerly. "You didn't hear me coming and...I don't know, did they ever say anything?"

Levi's arms left him suddenly as the man went to look through their small window. He had a sombre look to his face, making Eren chew his lip nervously.

"Y-you didn't get any brain damage did you?" the teen questioned, panic rising.

"No that's not it."

The stark man turned back to him slowly, fixing a piece of his dark hair that was a millimeter out of place. Eren's eyes were mournful and beseeching--Levi hated seeing that disgustingly sweet pity directed at him, he didn't need that shit.

"You never told me what happened."

"You don't need to hear the details," the man said turning away again.

" _ Yes _ , I do," Eren hissed.

Levi looked to him, brow furrowed.

Eren stood on wobbly legs and stalked up to his lover, "I'm your husband, I deserve to know."

"Eren--"

"Stop," Eren growled, his determination showing itself again. "I know you think it's too much for me, but it's worse not knowing. I love you and I can't stand not knowing what happened, I...it's my fault since I wasn't there and I just--"

"It wasn't your fault Eren. Stop blaming yourself for shit you can't control."

"And you stop hiding shit from me because you think I'm too fragile. I'm not some dainty flower," he pressed.

The short man sighed again and wrapped his arm around Eren's protruding middle.

It was quiet a moment, almost peaceful except for the small air of tension. Eren was about to open his mouth again when his lover finally spoke.

"I severely broke my arm, my shoulder was dislocated and the muscle torn," he started.

Eren swallowed heavily as the details poured out.

"Nothing a bit of rehabilitation can't fix, infact it's healing abnormally fast, which Hanji said is likely because I'm so in shape."

Eren nodded slowly, "O-ok."

"Small concussion from....all the shaking. But that's already subsiding. Hanji estimates I had about six broken ribs, but they’re mending well.. And," the man grunted uncomfortably, "some likely permanent hearing damage."

Teals eyes widened in disbelief.

"W-wait are you serious?"

Levi rolled his eyes, "Do I seem like a person to fucking joke around, Eren?"

"N-no but! That's awful...Levi, oh my god..."

He frowned and pulled Eren into his chest. The teen was close to tears again at the news.

"S-so are you going to go deaf or something?!"

"No, Eren. I'm just not fucking supersonic like I used to be."

"That's still bad! How are you going to work in the field?! What if something bad happens because you lost your hearing?!"

Levi groaned dramatically, pinching Eren's side and burying his face into his warm shoulder. The teen squeaked a bit and stared at him.

"I'm  _ not _ deaf, Eren. I can still hear fine. And it's  _ not _ going to affect me. I'll adapt like always. I can still kick your teeth out no problem," he retorted.

He was quiet, silently nuzzling his nose into his husband's charcoal hair. Eren breathed in slowly, trying to calm himself. Despite Levi's air of calm, he couldn't help but worry about the change--and he could tell that though he brushed it off, the shorter male was still concerned about his loss.

He had relied for his entire life on his instincts, and now they were dulling.

"I love you...and I know it's not my fault but I'm s-still sorry," he whispered, hugging Levi's neck closer.

"Shut up," the older deadpanned, then quieter, "I love you too."

Eren grinned into the man's hair. He danced his fingers along his lover's back, chuckling at the shiver he received.

Eren hummed into his ear, kissing his cheek lightly and nuzzling against his superior. Levi pulled away slightly, his steel gray eyes gazing intently into Eren's bright oceans. He smirked devilishly, pulling the younger flush to his body, the only thing stopping their skin from touching being the large bump that was their child.

"I love you more everyday I see you like this," Levi hummed, his hands rubbing across Eren's belly in delicate patterns.

Heat rushed to his cheeks as they bloomed a bright pink. Levi didn't give praise often, but when he did, it made the world stop and sigh. The young man grinned widely, watching as his husband leaned down to place a kiss to their baby's residence.

At peace--everything seemed perfectly at peace, even with all the trouble they'd faced so far.

"Are you sure it's permanent damage and not you just getting old?" Eren purred.

Levi flicked his nose and kissed him roughly, biting his lip as he pulled away.

"I'll show you old...."


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahahahahahaa everyone here is gonna kill us.  
> Sorry guys! Enjoy it anyway!  
> Hey, on the bright side, story is almost done! Just about 6 chapters left!

Eren let out a long sigh as he woke from sleep, rolling his head some on his pillow. He peeled open his eyes in search of his lover. It was still rather early in the morning, so it was unlikely that Levi had gone anywhere yet. Especially since Hanji had practically ordered him to take things easy as he was still healing.

His sleep filled eyes found the raven sitting at the desk he had ordered be brought in; and unsurprisingly there was a small stack of paperwork placed neatly before him.

“Just can’t get enough of that crap can you?” he teased, rolling onto his side to face the man.

Levi paused and looked over at him with distaste, “Don’t make it sound like I enjoy this, brat.” He turned back to his work as if to continue, but he didn’t. “You didn’t throw up this morning,” he pointed out.

The brunette gave a noncommittal shrug, “I almost did but then I decided I didn’t want to get up so I just forced it down.”

His senior wrinkled his nose, “That is disgusting.”

Eren laughed lightly in return. He turned onto his back with the intent to get up but when he tried the first time to sit up, he just plopped back onto the bed. The titan shifter grunted as he tried again, getting further up this time… only to fall back onto the bed. His large stomach was doing a good job at preventing him from getting up.

At that point Levi had looked over at him with mild curiosity.

He took a few breaths and tried again and he was almost up when he fell back against the bed. Eren groaned in exasperation, “This is hopeless!” A small sound came from his left, he glanced over to his lover who was obviously stifling laughter. He pouted, “Don’t laugh at me! This is hard okay?!”

Amusement had lit up those gray eyes in a beautiful way, Eren found himself smitten just by the sight of it. 

He flushed and smiled sheepishly, “I guess that did look a little ridiculous, huh…”

“You have no idea,” came the reply, fondness evident in Levi’s tone. He stood carefully and went to the brunette’s side, offering a hand. “Come on shithead, up we go.”

Eren rolled his eyes but took the hand and hefted himself up thanks to the other’s strength. He wobbled a bit upon halting, a bout of dizziness suddenly hitting him. “Whoa whoa…” he breathed unsteadily.

Levi kept a vice grip on his shoulders, “Eren?”

“Just dizzy,” he replied eventually. He gave another sheepish smile, “Sorry, babe.”

The raven haired Corporal took his hands away like they had been burned, “ _ Stop _ calling me that, brat.”

“Never.”

A knock sounded at their door. It was Erwin who called to them, “Might I enter for a moment?”

“Knock yourself out,” came Levi’s sarcastic reply.

The door opened to reveal their Commander looking surprisingly casual. He entered with presence, arms crossing over his chest. “How are you doing, Eren?”

“Just fine,” he replied a bit shyly, “baby has been pretty docile today. I’ve also got a bit more energy than I usually do around this time.”

He smiled in a friendly manner, “That’s good to hear.

* * *

There was an unusual tender edge to the other’s gaze as he looked down at him. His hand came up and brushed against his cheek softly.

Brilliant green eyes sought out his face with acute shock, “L-Levi…?” Suddenly there were lips on his. He let his eyes falls shut easily, leaning in to deepen the kiss.

The older pulled back after a moment, but lingered nearby.

Eren looked imploringly to his love, trying to decipher the meaning behind his actions. He would never complain about Levi being affectionate, but usually there was cause for it. He reached up a hand to the raven’s pale cheek in a vague attempt to draw an answer from him.

“Le-”

“I love you, Eren,” he interrupted softly, burying his face in the younger’s neck.

He choked on his words, eyes tearing up a bit. It was usually him who said it first, but those few times that Levi beat him to it always opened his eyes to the fact that it was true. Eren smiled up at him sweetly, “I love you too.”

Levi quirked his own small smile, tugging his spouse to his feet gently. He said nothing as he led him towards the bathroom that adjoined their room.

The pregnant male followed without question, secretly amused by the sudden turn of events. He quirked a brow in curiosity as he was settled on the lid of the toilet and Levi began preparing a bath.

“Levi..” he called, “what are-?”

“Shh,” Levi shushed him, “let me take care of you, shitface.”

He stayed quiet after that, deciding to accept the uncommon romantic gesture from his husband.

Only once it was fully prepared did the shorter man turn back to Eren. He coaxed him to his feet and wordlessly eased his long shirt up and over his head. He took a moment to appreciate the teen’s rounded stomach. He ran his hands over the delicate surface, quirking a small smile when a kick met his palm.

Every touch was tender and intimate in its own way. Eren found himself breathless from the complete change in character. There was rarely a time that his lover was so affectionate - and thinking back, he had drank in the intimacy like a drunkard all those times too.

He hadn’t the slightest idea what had spurred it on, but he certainly wasn’t complaining.

Levi then proceeded to guide him from his loose fitting pajama bottoms, leaving him nude and feeling a tad vulnerable. It didn’t stay that way for long, as he was ushered into the bath that the man had prepared.

Eren couldn’t stop his moan at the pleasant warmth of the bath water. Immediately he found himself mentally proclaiming his own stupidity for having not indulged in baths before. The soothing heat eased the stress from his muscles and had him totally relaxed. It was almost as good as Levi’s godly hands giving him a backrub - almost as good as sex.

“Figured you would like a higher temperature on the water,” the raven chuckled.

“God yes,” he breathed, almost in another moan, “This is heaven.” His bright eyes peered over at the other with a pleased glimmer, “Thanks, babe.”

Amazingly enough, the Corporal let the nickname slide. He stripped out of his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, hands dipping into the water and dribbling some into Eren’s hair. 

Those fingers were gentle and comforting against his scalp, massaging it a bit as they went. He relaxed completely into the sensations, eyes falling shut of their own accord.

The whole moment was peaceful and teased with romance.

“Mmm Levi?” He asked at one point, mind hazy with contented pleasure.

“What, brat?” Came the soft reply. His dexterous fingers were working through his hair, thoroughly lathering it with a sweet scented shampoo.

Eren cracked open an eye, peering curiously to his lover, “What kind of dad do you think I’ll be?”

The hands in his hair stilled for only a moment, “What kind of question is that?”

He pouted and looked away shyly, “..I’m just curious. I don’t want to be a bad one.”

“And you’re not going to be, dumbass,” Levi chided. “You’ll be the best dad this kid could ask for - playful, friendly, loving - everything a good father should be.”

The brunette flushed under the praise.

A moment of silence elapsed before the older continued, “Hell, you’ll be such a good parent that they’ll probably hate my guts.” There was a bit of jest in his tone, and yet at the same time it sounded shockingly truth filled. 

He didn’t honestly believe that did he? Eren gave him a disappointed look, “Levi.”

His gray eyes were focused on his task, unconsciously portraying his hidden insecurity. “I suck with kids, Eren,” he muttered, “all I manage to do is make them cry.”

“Then you can learn,” the teen told him sincerely, “I’ll make mistakes too. I definitely won’t be their favorite - it’ll be their papa. The one who is strong, orderly, tender, and attentive to them.” He sat up a bit and placed his wet palm against a pale cheek, “We balance each other, Levi. It’ll be a partnership, one that we’ll have to settle into.”

Levi appeared stunned, if momentarily, by his words.

Eren smiled to him, “This baby will spoiled rotten by our love for it, and I’d have it no other way. We both have learning and growing to do, but we can do it together.”

Suddenly there was a set of lips against his own, kissing him sweetly. He sighed happily, leaning into it instinctively. A sense of pride welled within him as he realized that he had successfully comforted one of his spouse’s fears.

They separated reluctantly, both having fallen back into the relaxing atmosphere.

“Now turn so I can rinse this shit out of your hair,” came the gruff order.

He couldn’t help but laugh in response.

Eren leaned back again into his husband’s embrace, allowing him to rinse away the shampoo with the warm water. The sudden rush of warmth down his back sent a shiver over his skin, one that made his spouse smirk as he leaned in and planted a kiss into Eren’s freshly washed locks. A pair of lips trailed close to his ear, making the brunette sigh.

“I love it when you tremble under me like that,” Levi whispered to him.

Eren gagged a bit, cheeks heating up immediately. He smacked Levi’s arm with a stern pout.

“D-don’t tease me like that!” he grumbled.

Levi merely smirked and continued, washing Eren’s back with a washcloth and pressing another kiss to his lips.

“When you stop being such an adorable brat, I’ll stop teasing you.”

* * *

After his nice and long bath, Levi helped Eren out of the tub, drying him vigorously with a towel and helping him to get dressed again. His extensive attentions made Eren smile, as his husband wrapped him tightly in his blankets and crawled next to him in the bed. Eren hummed as Levi held him, one of his hands rubbing over their baby’s residence. He was clean and dressed in fresh clothing, resting against the love of his life - could things get any more perfect?

It was rare the his partner felt like pampering him in such a way; but as nice as it was, he knew there was an ulterior motive to it all.

“You haven’t asked anything yet,” Levi murmured into his hair.

He quirked a small smile in response. “I’ve been with you long enough to know that if you have something to say, you will. Besides,” he sighed happily, “I’m quite enjoying all the attention.”

The raven chuckled, “Sometimes it’s nice to spoil you.”

Just that small admission was enough to bring a slight flush to his face. “Well you won’t hear me complaining,” he said, leaning his head back to peer up into those silver orbs.

Levi planted a kiss on his brow, again surprising his lover with affection.

Eren observed him wordlessly for a bit. “Instincts are telling me I’m not going to like it, whatever it is.”

“Your instincts aren’t wrong,” was the muttered reply.

A long moment of silence passed as Levi deliberated how best to spill the news. He gave a long sigh, continuously rubbing at Eren’s enlarged stomach.

“There’s another expedition coming up,” he said finally, “Erwin has requested I be on it as Hanji gave me full clearance last week.”

The information immediately had Eren sitting up on the bed, eyes full of worry. “B-But Levi-”

“Eren,” he interrupted calmly, grabbing the other’s shaking hands in his own.

The brunette’s breathing had picked up a bit with fear.

“I already tried staying back,” Levi continued in a leveled manner, “but Erwin pointed out that doing so might raise some red flags to the council.” He raised his eyes to meet panicked green, “We don’t need them sticking their noses into shit and finding out about the baby. We need to put that off for as long as possible.”

Eren bit at his lip, shoulders trembling just enough to be noticed. He was afraid. Levi had been so badly injured on the last, he wouldn’t be able to stand it if something like that happened again; especially with their child’s due date quickly approaching.

He leaned forward into his captain’s shoulder, a hand grasping tightly at the fabric of his shirt. “You  _ have _ to come back to me in one piece,” he breathed desperately, on the verge of breaking.

Levi was quiet for a moment. “I won’t promise anything… but I’ll do my best.”

It helped, but his reassurance wasn’t nearly enough. The mere thought of Levi going back out there and being injured again plagued him. His stomach flip flopped with anxiety - or perhaps it was their child reacting to his feelings of worry.

The immense amount of emotions hitting him all at once made him feel physically sick. He heaved a few breaths before unsteadily going for the adjoining bathroom where he promptly lost his food in the toilet. Tears prickled at his eyes.

“Eren…”

Levi’s soft tone only made it worse. He was sick once more, slumping back against the tub when he had finished. His tears only multiplied at the feeling of two strong arms wrapping around his delicate form.

“I d-don’t want you to go,” he wept into his spouse’s chest.

He grimaced but held his love close. “But I have to,” he murmured, “and I fucking hate it.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calm before the storm my friends. Calm before the storm.  
> Enjoy~

This had been the worst day that Levi had had in awhile. Boring and awful to a fault, along with the impending feeling of doom that seemed to surround himself and Eren. All thanks to the preparation he was being forced to do, he hadn’t seen Eren since he had woken up this morning. Which during that time, the younger had clung to him with all his might, begging he stay with him in bed longer and softly crying when Levi had finally left and closed the door. If there was one thing Levi hated most in life, it was seeing Eren cry. Even his hatred of  _ titans _ didn’t come close.

In the end, he’d practically had to threaten Erwin to at least give him the rest of the day off--shirking his responsibilities off for some other poor soul to deal with. Luckily enough, the man had agreed, saying something like ‘since I’m forcing you to go on this expedition against your fucking will, I’ll actually be a human and let you spend time with the one person you care about’. Or something like that. Either way, after a bit of afternoon training with the regiment, he was out of there. He took a quick shower and changed his clothes before heading back to where his lover laid. He could already hear sniveling from within as he approached the room.

“Eren…” Levi called as he entered the room.

His heart seized in his chest when he saw Eren. Why did life have to be so awful?

The man had somehow wrapped himself in a little ball around his round belly. He was curled in on himself, clutching a pillow to his chest and sobbing into it. He was facing the wall, and honestly Levi had never seen him look so small and broken.

When he heard Levi entering he turned slowly on the bed, seemingly having difficulties because of his overly swollen stomach, and faced him. Despite the object of his worries being right before him, safe and sound, he didn’t seem to be able to dry his tears. Eren wiped his tears with his sleeve and looked up at his husband with reddened eyes.

“H-hi,” he said in a hoarse voice.

Levi frowned, immediately dropping his uniform onto the chair and sitting down on the bed next to Eren. The younger sniffled, sitting up and looking sadly into his lap. His husband reached over and lifted his chin with a finger, wiping a few stray tears from his eyes with his thumb.

“It’s okay, Eren,” he soothed, running a hand through the man’s messy hair.

The brunette shook his head, more tears falling silently from his eyes. He wiped them futilely and collapsed into Levi’s shoulder with a choked out sob. He was trying to stop the tears from falling, trying to reign in his emotions and choke down the sobs that were slowly destroying his composure. But it was impossible--he couldn’t keep them down no matter how hard he tried.

“P-please...don’t go…” Eren cried.

“Eren, I have to,” Levi said with a sigh.

The younger shook his head again, curling further into himself and falling into Levi’s chest, clutching his shirt like a lifeline and spilling tears all over it. Levi frowned, heart clenching again as he saw how broken his absence was making his lover. He brought Eren in for a searing hug, which only seemed to succeed in making the brunette cry and whimper further. He held him tighter.

“I’m sorry, Eren. Please don’t cry,” Levi wiped more tears from his lover’s face. “There’s nothing we can do about it. Everything will be fine.”

The younger sniffled and buried his face into Levi’s chest. Levi held him close, allowing his spouse to snuggle into him, head on his chest, arms around his waist, and legs intertwined as he clung desperately to him, hoping he wouldn’t leave him sooner than he had to. He rubbed Eren’s back in soothing circles, breathing evenly and speaking soft, calming words into his hair. His sobs quickly lessened, but they didn’t stop. Eren continued to cry quietly in Levi’s arms, pressing his ear to his lover’s chest, trying to listen to the man’s heartbeat.

Levi realized what he was trying to do. He gently pried one of Eren’s hands from his hip, guiding it carefully until it rested upon his chest, over his heart. Eren choked out a sob, his eyes shutting tight to squeeze out the tears blossoming in them. Levi held him there, holding his hand over his heart and allowing his lover to feel the rise and fall of his calm breathing.

“I’m alive, Eren,” Levi whispered to him, nuzzling his hair, “And as long as you’re here, I always will be…”

Eren nodded into his chest, sniffling and whimpering. He was clutching Levi’s shirt again as he hovered his hand over his even heartbeat.

“I love you, Eren.”

He felt the younger male swallow hard, gasping as he tried to catch his breath and slow his tears.

“I will always love you,” Levi kissed Eren’s lips slowly, breathing into him and helping him to breathe evenly.

“I l-love y-ou too...I-I…” he drifted off.

Levi reached out for Eren, lifting his chin carefully and pecking his lips again sweetly. He stared deep into the teen’s red-rimmed teal eyes, locking them in place so that he could convey his love through him. He wiped the tears from his eyes, and gave him a sincere smile--one that made Eren catch his breath.

“Do you know when the happiest day of my life was?” he asked quietly, giving Eren a pinch on his thigh.

Eren chuckled a bit through his tears, “N-no. When?”

Levi smirked, “The day I married you.”

Eren’s cheeks bloomed bright red and he turned his eyes down bashfully.

“R-really?”

Levi kissed his brow.

“Really. Do you remember that day?”

Levi was proud of himself as a sweet grin split his lover’s trembling lips. He remembered that day--of course he did. There was no way he would ever be able to forget the butterflies that had filled his stomach, and the perpetual warmth he felt in his cheeks, and especially the image of his Levi, standing at the altar, eyes locked on him. He would never forget the love that filled that day. It was what had led them to this point afterall...

* * *

Eren ran a hand through his hair nervously as he paced around the room Hanji had forced him into. Her claim had been that he wasn’t allowed to see Levi until they were married. He breathed in a shaky breath at the thought.

It had already been established when they had gotten engaged that their wedding wouldn’t be anything big. Just a private and secret little thing at headquarters with a hearty feast and perhaps some dancing after. Though Erwin didn’t seem to care, others in the military would say their relationship was against the law - even if Eren was of legal age and making his own decision.

Given that fact, it was also decided that Erwin would be the one to wed them. He had managed to get a license to do so and thus made things easier for them. Especially as they were keeping things as under wraps as possible.

All those little plans had brought them to the day, and Eren couldn’t stop the jitters he felt. His stomach and heart were leaping within him; out of excitement or nervousness, he wasn’t sure. He would finally be able to call Levi his husband, that was something that kept repeating itself in his mind.

Hanji crept in the room without his knowledge and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He shrieked and whipped around in bewilderment, then embarrassment. “Don’t sneak up on me Hanji,” he whined.

She laughed at him and patted his hand, “Oh calm down love bird, you’re way too uptight for getting married here in a few minutes.”

It was suddenly hard to swallow as he processed her words. “It’s… t-they’re ready?”

“Yup, all the prep is complete, now we just need the bride! Errr… other groom?” She scratched a bit at her head, “Huh, I’ll have to figure that one out. Anyways, we’re ready for you!”

Eren heaved a few shallow breaths, glancing over his outfit. His hands were shaking, his heart was thumping loudly, his stomach was flip flopping.

A warm hand rested gently against his cheek, “Hey.”

He looked to his friend with a flighty gaze.

“It’ll be okay, Levi is there waiting for you. He’s ready, you’re ready. You both look great and all our friends are there to see this union.” Her smile was borderline motherly, “You can do this, Eren.”

Her words rang true. He faced titans and death regularly, so facing his fiance was no big thing. They would meet, exchange words and vows and that would be it - they would be  _ married _ . He managed a small smile of his own. “Thanks,” he said weakly.

Hanji straightened his collar and jacket, brushing off imaginary dust.

He had been dressed in all white - white button down, white jacket, white pants. On the suit jacket’s pocket, a single red rose had been pinned. He hoped he looked presentable. Especially since Levi always looked so sharp when dressed up.

“Ready, my little titan?”

The question caught him off guard. Eren blinked and then nodded hesitantly.  _ I can do this _ , he told himself,  _ Levi is waiting for me _ .

The scientist grinned madly, “Good, because Levi will be mad if you’re late. He’s practically sweating up there already!”

Eren gulped at the thought but allowed himself to be led away. Hanji led him slowly to the room, chuckling as he tried to keep his breathing even. It was hardly possible, he just couldn’t keep his breaths steady. He was too nervous--too excited.

They reached a closed door, the sound of low murmuring coming from inside. Eren could easily make out Connie, Jean and Sasha. There were several others he recognized as well. He heaved in a shaky breath, looking over anxiously to his companion.

“You can do this,” she assured him softly, reaching forward and opening the door. She entered first, knowing he would follow if she did.

Eren entered shyly, eyes downcast towards the floor as he walked forward. With a deep breath, he raised his gaze and immediately choked up.

Levi stood at the far end of the room beside Erwin, looking at him with mild shock in his gray orbs. He had a white button down, black jacket and black pants, and a matching red rose on his suit pocket. He caught his gaze and offered a small smile--one meant and set aside just for him. He looked so overwhelmingly handsome in that moment, leaving Eren to question just how he had ended up with this perfect man as his fiance. Levi honestly complimented him so much--they balanced each other so perfectly.

Tears blurred his vision as he slowly but surely made his way forward. He couldn’t believe they had actually gotten to this point. His steps faltered halfway to his partner, tears streaming down his face. A warm hand touched his for a brief second, then an arm hooked around his and tugged him gently forward. It spurred him from his daze, and he glanced quickly to his right to see Mikasa leading him slowly down the aisle.

Wordlessly she led him the rest of the way, her arm reassuring around his. She kissed his cheek when they arrived at the altar and after a momentary glare at Levi, placed his hands into the older male’s.

Levi’s hands were strong and supportive. Eren managed to raise his eyes and give his lover a wet smile.

The raven returned it and cupped his cheek in a delicate manner. “Look at what a mess you are already,” he chided softly. He pulled out a handkerchief he had stashed in his pocket and wiped at his lover's cheeks. As he did, he tossed a quick look at Erwin, wordlessly telling him to go ahead.

Eren could hardly hear any of the words Erwin was saying over the thundering of his own heart. He clutched tightly at his lover’s hands, trying desperately not to faint. He felt his teal eyes glazing over with dreaminess as he stared deeply into the gray irises of his lover. Looking into them, he found the strength he needed to stay sane.

“Levi, take Eren’s ring and put it on his finger, then repeat after me,” Erwin instructed.

He scooped up the silver ring from his superior’s hold and gently worked it onto Eren’s finger. “Eren,” he said, repeating the words spoken to him, “take this ring as a symbol of both my love for you, and the vow that I make on this day. With it…” Levi paused and looked to the blonde officiator, “Can I say my own thing? That’s so fucking cheesy.”

Erwin rolled his eyes but nodded.

He turned his gaze back to his lover, “Eren, I just want this to be your constant reminder that I’m not going anywhere, no matter what shit we may go through. You managed to enter my life and I’m sure as hell not letting you go now.”

Eren gave a wet laugh in response, completely desensitized to his partner’s blunt way of speaking. Levi’s eyes lit up with happiness, seeing his lover giggle so giddily.

“And now you, Eren.”

His shaky hands could hardly hold the ring as he moved it to Levi’s finger. More tears came to his eyes when he realized how big this was - what a huge step for them both. They had been through so much together...and now they would go through so much more,  _ together,  _ as a unit.

“L-Levi,” he managed to repeat after the Commander, “take this ring as a symbol of both my love for you, and the v-vow that I make on this day. With it, know that..” He swallowed around the lump in his throat, “know that I willingly and wholeheartedly m-make this commitment to you.” He heaved a few breaths before he was able to continue, “O-Our bond made this day will be unbreakable and last a lifetime. From now, I s-so pledge myself to you.”

Erwin couldn’t stop a smile, “As the officiator, I ask that anyone against this union speak now or forever hold their peace.”

Silence took the room.

He nodded in approval, “Good. Anyone against this can get eaten by a titan.”

Everyone gave a laugh at that, except for Levi who naturally rolled his eyes.

“So, without further ado,” he continued after a moment, “I so pronounce you a married couple. Mr. and... Mr. Ackerman I suppose.”

The words ghosted right over the couple’s heads however as Levi leaned in and kissed his newly dubbed husband gently. The small crowd erupted in cheers and  catcalls as they kissed, only getting louder when Levi dipped Eren backwards, supporting him carefully in his arms as he deepened the kiss. It was probably longer than was usually acceptable at weddings, but everyone was so happy for the couple that no one cared. Their love was contagious, and anyone who knew them couldn’t help but feel their hearts pound happily in their chests for the new married couple’s union. Levi was satisfied when he pulled back, finding his spouse giving him a blinding smile, even with tears trickling down his face.

“I love you, L-Levi,” he blubbered suddenly, bringing him in for a tight embrace.

The older male chuckled lowly, “Love you too, Eren.”

The younger attacked him with a hug, pulling him close and giggling happily into the raven’s shoulder. Levi held him, unable to keep his smile to himself this time as he grinned blindly at his husband’s antics.

* * *

“That was the happiest I’ve ever been,” Levi admitted quietly, leaving a butterfly-like kiss on his husband’s lips.

Eren blushed and sniffled into his husband’s shoulder, “M-me too…”

Levi smirked and nuzzled his nose into Eren’s messy chocolate locks. He rubbed a hand over the man’s protruding stomach in soothing circles, sighing when Eren responded by lacing his fingers with his. Their conjoined hands laid carefully on their baby’s residence, allowing the gentle movements from within to fill their hearts with much needed joy.

“And soon, that will change,” Levi said.

Eren looked up at him curiously, “How so?”

Levi’s lips quirked up a bit and he patted Eren’s stomach.

“Because when this baby is born, we will have another day that will be the happiest day of ours lives.”

Eren smiled, making Levi feel prideful in seeing his lover’s mood turned around, if only by a bit.

“I really hope so,” the brunette murmured.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoops.
> 
> Sorry~

Levi’s eyes snapped open when there came a light knock on the door. He blinked heavily and rose from the bed. He cracked open the door and peered out with distaste. “What?”

Hanji offered him a small smile, hands raised in surrender. “Erwin is having me make sure everyone is awake and preparing, that’s all.”

He ran a hand through his hair, “Fine. Get out of here, shitty glasses.”

“Okay, okay, see you later.”

The Corporal grunted in confirmation before shutting the door quietly. A quick glance out the window let him know that it was an hour or so before dawn. “Fuck you and your crazy ass schedule, Erwin,” he grumbled.

He began suiting himself up after a quick shower. At one point he happened to look at Eren and could only see the dark bags underneath his eyes. He frowned and ventured closer. “You stayed up all night again, didn’t you shitface?” The accompanying tear tracts only further convinced him of such.

Levi shook his head and planted a gentle kiss on the other’s brow.

Seeing as his younger lover seemed to finally be sleeping, he decided against waking him to say goodbye. He would leave a note or something instead, though he would undoubtedly be berated for it later.

He was fully dressed shortly, uniform pristine and fresh. The raven wandered back to his spouse and kissed him softly. Then, he kissed the protruding stomach that was their child’s home. “I’ll be back soon,” he murmured, “I love you both.”

With that, he was gone.

* * *

It was the soft light of morning, filtering through the drawn curtains that pulled Eren from his distressing dreams. He woke with a start, reaching out across the bed for the small, yet strong body of his love. When he found nothing more than empty sheets, his heart turned stone cold. He lifted his head, struggling to sit up around his  _ very _ swollen belly - a few weeks more and it'd be time. Hopefully Levi would be back by then... _ No I can't think that way. He's strong, he'll be fine this time.  _ The constant kicking in his stomach didn't make that fact any more believable.

It took him a few tries to finally sit up, and he was almost knocked back onto the bed in surprise when the door swung open suddenly.

"Gahhh!" Eren couldn't help but shout at the sudden intrusion - the damn hormones had him so jumpy.

He breathed in relief as Hanji sauntered into the room, a wild grin plastered - as always - to her face.

"Sorry my little titan," she soothed. His shoulders shrunk at the overly kind voice she used. He wasn't a child, he could handle Levi being gone...

"Hi."

Eren's voice was hoarser than he thought it should've been. The scientist approached his bedside and sat down in the chair by the side; it was usually where Levi sat but he supposed Hanji could use it for now. The thought made Eren frown.

"You thinking about your baby daddy?" she tried lightening the mood.

The frown deepened. The room got a few degrees cooler.

"Has he left yet?" he asked, voice small.

Hanji smiled sympathetically, "Not yet. How are you feeling?"

"When are they leaving?"

"Thirty minutes. But how are  _ you _ feeling, Eren?"

Eren's teal eyes snapped to her's in frustration. Why was it always about  _ him? _ Was he not allowed to be worried about his husband?

"I'm  _ fine.  _ Where is Levi?" he asked with growing impatience.

Hanji knit her brows and looked to the shaded window. She clasped her hands in front of her.

"He's down with the troops preparing for the march through town," she said quietly.

Eren looked down at the massive bulge that was to be his and Levi's baby. He laid a gentle hand on his belly.

"When do you think they'll be back?"

"Hopefully a week at most."

Aqua eyes filled with water.  _ A week.  _ "Hopefully," Eren repeated.

"Is your stomach feeling better now? Do you think you could eat something?" Hanji was trying desperately to get Eren's attention off of Levi and the expedition.

But Levi was all Eren could ever think about anymore. He could feel himself descending into madness in his absence. What if Levi didn't get back in a week? What if it took two weeks, or even a month? It wasn't unheard of; Eren had been on plenty of missions like that. And even then...

"Do you think he'll be back in time?  _ S-safely _ back in time?" his voice was beginning to waver.

"Of course! When has he ever not come back...safely..." the words were out before Hanji could stop them.

Eren choked on a gasp, tears already streaming down his full cheeks.

"He's gonna die isn't he...!" he was wailing and sobbing already.

Hanji sprung from her seat to comfort the blubbering mess Eren had become.

"Woahhh there! We don't know that! Levi's strong, Eren, remember? He's Humanity's Strongest! He'll be fine, just calm down, okay?" she spewed, patting Eren's back and rubbing his shoulders.

But now that he had started, there was no stopping him.

"He's going to die and leave me alone with-! This, stupid baby!" he sobbed, gulping down air in between ragged breaths. "I don't want it! I can't do this alone!"

"Eren, breathe! Levi's going to be fine! You need to just calm down, or you might hurt the baby, okay? You don't want to do that, right?" the scientist soothed.

"I-I want L-Levi!" the shifter screamed.

"Eren you need to breathe!!"

And just like that, Eren's wails of woe were wrenched into something more harsh. The young man screamed in pain, hunching over and clutching his pregnant stomach.

"Eren?!" Hanji jumped again. "What's wrong?"

He groaned in horrific pain. It was the most awful feeling he could've ever imagined--nothing like the pain any one of the midwives had described to him. No, it was  _ worse _ .

"Shit!" Hanji realized the situation in a flurry of fear. Her eyes widened to unimaginable levels as she jumped from the bed. "Eren..!? Is it the...?!"

Eren gasped in agony, tears now drenching his face from the pain, "T-The baby's c-coming!! Aurrrghuuhhh!!"


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who wants to guess gender? Anyone? Let us know what you think in the comments!  
> Also enjoy the chapter....~

She was running as fast as her legs would take her, but dammit it wasn’t enough. Eren was in labor. He needed her now. But she had to find someone - anyone really - who could relay the news to Captain Levi. Hanji knew well enough by now that the stoic man would never forgive himself for missing his own child’s birth, and would probably also ring her neck a bit if she didn’t at least  _ try _ to send for him.

So she ran. He would last for a few minutes, but Eren needed her back soon.

The scientist practically tackled the first soldier she saw.

“ _ You! _ I need you to do something urgent for me!” she screamed in his face.

The soldier cowered a bit under her intensity, “Y-yes, ma’am!” He saluted.

“Go catch up with the deploying group and tell Captain Levi labor has induced.  _ Now!” _ she shoved the cadet off before he could ask questions.

Hanji sprinted back in the other direction.

* * *

Corporal Levi looked around boredly at the usual scenery. Horses whinnying and chewing on their bits, townsfolk gathering in gossip circles, whispering and pointing, and newbies quivering in their boots. Typical. Only this time it was even more annoying. Why the hell did he even have to go on this mission? Erwin had forced him to move to the most protected ring in the formation, commanding that he not take any “unnecessary actions” this time. So basically he was just supposed to stroll around on his horse and catalog flowers while his men fought for their lives; his favorite thing in the world.

“So fucking stupid,” he muttered sourly as the gate began to rise.

“Captain Levi!”

He ignored the call. It was probably just some stupid civilian trying to yell at him about some dumb shit or another. So goddamn annoying…He spurred Magnolia and started a slow trot forward.

“ _ Captain Levi! Please, I come with urgent news!” _

Levi snapped his head around. Who the hell was talking? He couldn’t see anything through the crowd of faces. His heart became a little tight in his chest.

“ _ Sir!” _

A sweat riddled cadet burst forth through the crowd. Levi stared at the man callously, his filthy disheveled appearance offending his OCD.

“ _ What.”  _ he growled as the soldier performed a rushed and sloppy salute.  _ How rude-- _

“Sir, I was told by Squad Leader Hanji to inform you that labor has been induced!” the soldier shouted.

His eyes grew wide. No, that couldn’t be possible. Eren wasn’t supposed to be due for at least another month... _ No. Fuck, this is-- _

“ _ Scouts! The 79th Expedition begins now! Move out!” _

* * *

Hanji didn’t need to ask Eren how he was doing when she burst in the door; she had heard his screams of pain from three halls over. The shifter was writhing, coated in sweat and tears, and screaming nonstop. The pain must’ve been utterly unbearable in order to make the teen react so strongly.

“Eren! Hey, hey it’s okay! I need you to breathe for me okay? This’ll be a lot worse for me if you don’t calm down,” she soothed over his cries, grabbing his hand in hers.

Eren groaned and whined in agony, his breathing still ragged.

“Hey, I need you to try to breathe. You have to breathe through the pain okay? It’s...it’s going to get pretty bad but I need you to stay strong and at the end of this you’ll have a beautiful little baby to call your own so just--OWW!”

Hanji yelped as Eren gripped her hand harshly through the pain.

“I-It hurts so bad!” the shifter cried through a broken gasp.

“Eren!”

The young man looked to her, eyes filled with pain and tears.

“Do you remember everything we’ve talked through about labor?”

His face went as pale as his sheets and he gasped in another breath of pain.

“N-no! You can’t cut into me...m-my baby’s not done yet--” he let out another groan of pain, “it h-hasn’t been nine m-months!”

“Eren, if we don’t do it now, bad things are going to happen. The baby’s in distress. We need to do it now.”

That only made his cries louder and more gut wrenching.

“I’m g-going to lose it!” Eren choked as he clung onto Hanji’s arm in desperation, “I’m going to lose my b-baby...and L-levi...oh g-god no…”

He was wrecked with yet another stab of pain in his stomach and hunched over with a scream. Hanji flinched as he yanked on her hand.

Eren wasn’t listening to reason anymore. His pain was too great, and his mind too full of guilt and fear for both his lover and child in distress. He choked on a painful sob and looked again to Hanji with desperate eyes.

“We  _ have _ to do it now.” Hanji said definitively.

Teal eyes filled with fear as the scientist flung open a series of drawers to reveal the medicinal supplies she had stockpiled within there. Gauze, towels, salves, a syringe with clear fluid, and a scalpel.

“No...I don’t want to... my baby!” Eren splurted in tearful horror.

“I ordered a soldier to go get Levi. Hopefully he should be here with you soon, Eren,” the scientist voiced over his distress, “I also sent a request for some experienced midwives, but I don’t think we can wait for them any longer.”

She flit her brown eyes to Eren’s swollen stomach with a sympathetic frown. She lifted the syringe and locked her hand on his wrist.

“I’m sorry, Eren. I’ll see you in a bit my little titan.”

He gave one more agonizing cry before Hanji pushed the sleeping serum into his system.

* * *

He could hear wild screams and shouts attacking him from every side.  _ Where are you going Captain? What’s wrong? Even Humanity’s Strongest is terrified to go out there now? Where is he going? Corporal! Corporal Levi! _

Levi went past all of them, steering Magnolia back through the crowds and away from the rising gate. No one stopped him. And thank god they didn’t because he probably would’ve shoved a blade down their throat and kept going. Eren needed him; he had to get back to his husband in his greatest time of need.  _ This is bad… _

Eren wasn’t due until mid to late July--that was a month from now. This was really bad. Levi had seen plenty of babies born premature in his time in the underground, and most of them didn’t live past the first few days, if at all. His kid...was that going to happen to his child?  _ Fuck, no, please _ ... He bit his lip as he spurred Magnolia to a faster pace. Why was headquarters so far away?

His child was going to die. Babies born premature never lived long in this era, in these harsh times, there was just no way. And Eren...what was he experiencing right now? Hanji had said the pain would be bad--really bad. No doubt he was miserable and in pain, which only made Levi feel even worse about his absence.

His absence...an awful feeling rose in his stomach as he realized  _ that _ was probably the cause of Eren’s early labor. Hanji had often reminded them that too much stress could cause the baby to go into distress. And it wasn’t at all a coincidence that just that happened the day Levi left to go on another expedition.

This was his fault. His not being there had caused Eren strife and anguish, which had led his baby to be in danger. He was going to be the cause of his baby’s premature birth and likely death. It was all his fault. He should’ve just told Erwin he was staying back.

As he came upon the building, he didn’t even bother to put his horse in the stables. He jumped right off of Magnolia’s back, wrapping her reigns around a post with haste, and rushed inside. Levi took the stairs two, three at a time, sprinting toward the room with his heart hammering hard in his chest.

“ _ Eren!!” _ he reached the door only for it to be flung wide open.

The short man was about to rush in when a young maid stopped him.

“I’m sorry, sir, but Miss Zoe has asked me to stop all from entering until the procedure is done--”

“ _ That’s my husband in there,”  _ Levi growled with uncontained fury and emotion, “ _ Now let me in.” _

The girl gulped a little and took a step back before strengthening her resolve.

“No, sir. Any interference now could corrupt the health of both the baby and its--er--father. So I please ask you to stay back and we’ll update you as we can.”

The raven haired man was stunned silent. She had the audacity to tell him no…? His shoulders slumped in defeat and though he wanted to argue and force his way inside, he knew that would only cause more problems for his husband and child. Levi bit his lip and took a step back, glaring at the floor.

The maid sighed softly, nodding before stepping a foot back in the room.

Levi grabbed her wrist before she could leave, however. She turned to him in surprise.

“Please, just make sure they get through this,” he begged, voice barely a whisper.

* * *

Blood. Everywhere. Up her arms, down her sleeves, coating her white gloves and apron. Hanji hated the sight of it. Eren was bleeding so much, but really that was only to be expected with such a procedure. She wiped her sweaty brow with her sleeve and began cutting into the makeshift womb that had formed in Eren’s abdomen.

“No...something’s wrong here…” she muttered as she dug into the warm flesh.

“Miss Hanji?”

“There are way too many limbs...this is too many for a human child. Shit! This is wrong, wrong, wrong…”

Hanji spared a glance at Eren’s sleeping face, contorted in discomfort even in slumber. She grit her teeth and wiped her brow again.

“How are his vitals?”

A maid reached out and checked the pulse in his wrist, “Strong, but a bit erratic.”

“Okay.” Hanji swallowed the lump in her throat.  _ If this child really is a titan... _ “We’re pulling it out, whatever it is that’s going on. Make sure to watch his signs as we do.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

* * *

After a while, he had to put his hands to his ears to stop the noise from reaching him. It wasn’t that Eren was shrieking, in fact he wasn’t at all--a fact that made Levi worry even more. It was the disgusting sounds of cutting and slurping coming from the movement of Eren’s innards that he couldn’t stand.  _ Filthy, disgusting noises. _ The sound of that shitty woman digging around in his husband’s guts…

The whispers were also unbearable. The tiny little snippets of conversation gave him nothing but fear and anguish.

_ “Check his vitals _ .  _ Too many...That’s bad. Good, good.” _

What was going on in that damn room? He couldn’t stand not knowing.

He stood a couple of times and approached the door, only to remember the maid’s words and sit down against the wall. If he interfered things would go worse; but all he wanted right now was to see his lover and hold his hand through whatever may come.

“ _ Okay I think I’ve got it...here, okay! Okay! Here it comes!”  _ the sound trickled through the door.

Levi held his breath. His baby. They were talking about his baby. He listened patiently. Why couldn’t he hear it crying? Didn’t babies always cry when they were born…

“ _ Shit! Oh my god...I never thought that this would happen...! Get another towel, shit!” _

What was going on? Why was there cursing? Something bad was happening. Something was wrong with his child; his child wasn’t crying. Or Eren. Something could be wrong with Eren too; why did they need more towels? He could be bleeding out or bleeding in or something terrible--

But with a little cry, the earth stopped spinning.

* * *

Hanji snipped the thread with a pair of sheers and collapsed into a chair with an exhausted sigh. It was done. Labor had gone--mostly--smoothly. Eren seemed to have relaxed in his sleep and the baby…

“Clean them up, real quick,” she instructed the midwives, “I’ll go talk to Mr. Grumpy Pants.”

* * *

Shitty glasses stepped out of the room with a solemn look on her face. Levi could hear the soft whines of his child behind the closed door. His heart clenched in anticipation.

“Eren…” he started in a hoarse voice.

“Is fine. He’ll recover pretty quickly. The procedure was a complete and total success,” Hanji quipped with a smile.

Levi’s face softened and he leaned back against the wall in relief. He couldn’t even help it--tears began sliding down his flushed cheeks and he grinned like a goddamn idiot. It hadn’t registered until now, but he was a father. He had a child, a little person to teach and show the world, to love and fawn over like a maniac. His husband was alive and healing, and they would live a long and happy life together with their little mismatched family. He let out a sound somewhere began a scoff and a sob.

“There’s just one thing.”

His eyes snapped to her in irritation.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re gonna need twice the diapers.”

The words didn’t sink in.

“What the hell is that...supposed to--” Levi’s eyes widened, glancing to the door in complete and total shock.

Hanji smirked and turned back toward the door.

“I asked the midwives to clean them up so they should be nice and pretty to your standards. You can come on in now, just try not to rustle Eren too much when you--”

“Hanji,” Levi interrupted.

“Hmm?”

“Y-you--were serious? There’s two…?”

She grinned and winked at him.

“Seeds planted  _ really _ well,” she provided with a shrug.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long guys! I thought it had posted but apparently I forgot to press a button and it didnt.....grrr.  
> Oh well but here is the next chapter, and for all you Americans out there (and everyone else too!) Happy Thanksgiving!!!!  
> Hope you guys enjoy~

Levi sat cradling his newborn daughter, eyes glancing over at the twin who was sleeping at that point. Hanji had warned him to keep an eye on their breathing in case of any complications. Seeing as they had come early, the woman wasn't taking any chances with their health.

The two of them had yet to be named as well because he refused to do it until Eren was conscious and coherent enough to do so.

A small moan escaped his slumbering lover as if on cue.

He looked up and moved forward a bit, “Eren?”

“Mmmmngh…. Levi..”

“I'm here,” he called quietly, conscious of the half asleep baby in his arms.

Eren's green eyes slid open though they were clouded with both pain and exhaustion. He winced as he shifted on the bed. “How long was I out..?”

The raven pondered the question for a moment before replying, “Around five hours.”

There was a silence between them as the shifter seemed to take in the fact. “And our baby?”

“They’re both fine, Hanji was more concerned about you…. dumbass.”

“Not like I could have helped it,” Eren shot back tiredly, “I was just..  _ so _ tired from everything-” He paused suddenly, “Wait did you say  _ they _ ?”

Levi’s eyes lit up as a small and patient smile came to his face, “Yes Eren, they.”

“W-We had two?”

“Yes.”

He breathed deeply, staring at the ceiling in disbelief, “Wow..”

His spouse gave him time to process the new information, recalling his similar shock at the news. Not only were they parents, they were parents to  _ twins _ . Who could've known?

Eren shook his head slightly after a long period of silence, seemingly clearing his thoughts. “Am I okay, after all that?”

Levi huffed, “Shitty glasses seemed to think so, she said something about your titan healing abilities kicking in again, if slower than before. She still wants you on bedrest for a few days.”

He nodded slightly before his eyes trailed down to the tiny bundle in his partner’s arms. He smiled wearily, “Who’s that one?”

“I guess we will have to decide, I didn’t name either of them. But this is the girl,” Levi answered, leaning forward more so the younger could see their daughter’s face.

One of his hands reached out to brush against the small cheek of the infant. His gaze softened, “Will you help me hold her?”

He didn’t reply, rather he set the baby down alongside her twin and reached to help his lover sit up in bed. “Just tell me if you start hurting,” he said sternly before hefting the boy up by his armpits, moving him slowly into sitting position.

Eren clutched onto him, expression tight and strained. He breathed out slowly when the movement stopped.

Levi watched him closely, not quite relinquishing his hold, “You alright?”

“Fine,” he breathed after a moment, “let me hold my baby.”

The senior officer couldn’t help but smirk at the familiarity of the stubbornness the other was portraying. He gently lifted their infant daughter from the crib and placed her in Eren’s waiting grasp. He watched the duo wordlessly. The serenity that surrounded his brat was practically palpable. It was a beautiful scene to witness. It was also relieving to see the discomfort melt away from his face as he beheld the small baby in his arms.

“Hazel,” Eren said suddenly, “her name is Hazel.”

Levi mulled it over before nodding in agreement, “Alright, Hazel then. Hazel…. Grace.”

His smile never faded, “Hazel Grace Ackerman.”

There was a time of silence as they took in the delicate form of their child. It was still astonishing to know they were officially parents.

Eren’s eyes filled with tears when Hazel’s eyes opened for a moment and peered up at him. “God.. She's so beautiful Levi…” He smiled down at her, “Hi baby… I'm your daddy…. I'm so happy to m-meet you.”

Levi’s words failed him so instead he planted a kiss into his lover’s hair.

The sound of fussing began from their other child.

“Oh! He must be getting tired of us gushing over her,” Eren laughed as he wiped his eyes.

The raven moved over and picked up the fussing infant. He was still unsure of how to hold them properly so his stance was awkward.

His lover seemed to notice and chuckled. “You don't have to be so stiff about it, just cradle him to you.”

“Shut your goddamn mouth, brat.”

“Why didn’t you just say so, dear?”

Levi scowled as he came closer with their other child, “Don’t call me that, makes me sound old.”

Eren smirked, “You  _ are  _ old according to some people. But I don’t care, I still love you no matter what.”

The older male sat on the bed beside his younger lover, still holding their son with a rather awkward grip. “What should his name be?” he questioned absently, stroking the boy's cheek with a careful finger.

“You choose first name,” the brunette urged, “I chose Hazel.”

It took him awhile to come up with anything until suddenly it hit him: “Cayden.”

“Cayden?” Eren pursed his lips with thought, “Hmmm… Cayden… Lee!”

An elegant eyebrow rose in response, “Lee?”

“Got to have some kind of name from his father,” he admitted with a blush, playing with one of Hazel’s hands that had gripped his finger.

“He’s already getting my last name, shithead. Plus what the hell does that name have to do with me..,” Levi muttered.

"Lee-vi...?"

"Tch. Idiot."

“...Please? It goes together really well…”

Levi was silent a moment. “...Fine.”

Eren beamed at him but winced shortly after, one of his hands reaching for his abdomen.

Gray orbs narrowed, “Eren?”

He sucked in a few breaths, shifting the now slumbering infant to rest beside him on the bed. “Fine, I just need to lay down I think.”

Instincts took over as Levi cradled Cayden in one arm and helped his brat lay down with the other. He heard every hiss and suppressed groan of pain from the younger, every one of them sending another bolt of concern through him. It was no easy thing the boy had just endured, it only helped in making the raven hyperalert over any signs of distress.

The titan shifter gave a long sigh once he had settled back into the bed, he turned his head to peer over at his bundled up daughter. Though his brow was knit together, he managed another smile. “The pain might be bad now, but… it was worth it.”

Levi shook his head slightly as he pulled up the blanket around his lover. “Whatever you say, brat.”

A knock sounded on the door. The raven looked to his exhausted lover warily, “Can you handle some visitors or do you want to wait?”

“It’s fine,” he replied, gaze occupied with Hazel’s small form.

With a nod, the Corporal went to the door. Cayden wriggled a bit in his arms as he did. He opened the door carefully and stepped away, focusing instead on the baby in his hold.

Hanji gave a subdued squeal as she all but ran through the door to oogle the twins. “They’re so much cuter now than they were earlier,” she exclaimed. “Anything occur with their breathing?”

“Not so far,” Levi answered curtly.

Mikasa and Armin piled in after the eccentric brunette, looking awed. The ravenette was quick to go to her brother’s bedside.

“How are you feeling, Eren?” she called quietly, running a hand through his hair with a motherly touch.

He smiled wearily up at her, “Tired, sore and overall exhausted.. but happy.”

She offered a small smile in return, dark eyes seeking out the infant that lay beside him.

Armin looked between the new parents, “So, what are their names?”

Levi shared a glance with his husband and then spoke, “Cayden Lee and Hazel Grace.”

Hanji wiped at her eyes, “Beautiful. These will be the cutest kids ever!” She leaned over and lightly poked Hazel’s cheek, “Hey there, Hazel… my name is Aunt Hanji.” The brunette then proceeded to make babbling noises.

The raven haired Corporal scowled, “Stop that shitty glasses, you’ll make her dumb like you.”

Hazel began fussing, evidently on the verge of crying.

“H-Hey now don’t cry,” the woman attempted to placate the child.

Eren gave a worn chuckle as he brought the baby closer to himself, nuzzling her face affectionately. “It’s alright,” he murmured, “I’m here.” Instantly the girl’s sounds quieted.

“Amazing, you’re a natural Eren,” Armin praised with a smile.

Mikasa watched the scene quietly. It occurred to her suddenly how much Eren had grown. Gone was the impulsive and unstable teenager; being in the Survey Corps… no, being with Levi had changed him for the better. She finally allowed herself to accept the fact as she took in her brother and the two children he had brought into the world.

“Glad to see the kiddos recognize their mother, eh Eren?”

He rolled his eyes, “I’m their  _ daddy _ , Hanji - remember? Levi is their papa. We’ve gone over this a thousand times at least.”

Hanji laughed a bit, “Well in usual cases the one carrying and giving birth to the children is called the  _ mother _ .”

“He has a dick, shitty glasses, I should know.”

Eren merely gave a fond smile at his lover’s bluntness, “Besides, you of all people should realize that our family is anything but usual. I mean… Humanity’s Strongest, a titan shifter and their two miracle children. Definitely  _ not  _ a normal combination.”

She held her hands up in mock surrender, “Fine, fine. I yield.” The woman pointed an accusing finger at him, “And don’t sell yourself short! You’re not  _ just _ a titan shifter, Mr. Humanity’s Hope.”

“I would agree with that, Eren, you’re definitely more than “a titan shifter”,” Armin said from nearby.

He flushed slightly, “..Fine… Humanity’s Strongest, Humanity’s Hope and their two miracle children… better?”

Hanji smiled kindly, “Much. Now, before I go, I want to check out the incision site; even if your healing abilities are kicking back into gear, we need to keep an eye on things.”

“Yeah, I understand.” He looked up to his sister with a smile, “Hold Hazel while she does, Aunt Mikasa.”

The ravenette nodded dutifully and accepted the infant into her arms carefully. There was a look of adoration on her face as she looked down upon her niece.

Eren laid still on the bed as Hanji pulled down the blanket and gently worked up his long shirt. He shivered as the cool air hit his abdomen.

Hanji hummed as she lifted the gauze that laid over his incisions. A frown came onto her face as she noticed that the skin was an angry red color. “Looks like it’s inflamed, so no more drastic movements. I know you probably had Levi sit you up at some point.”

He looked away sheepishly.

“Yeah I figured,” Hanji teased. “I'll go ahead and clean things up really quick and replace the gauze.”

“Is this going to be painful for him?” Levi questioned firmly. He bounced Cayden a bit when the boy began whimpering.

“Maybe, I can't really say for sure,” the researcher replied. She quirked a brow, “Are you in pain now Eren?”

He gave a light shrug, “It's not the worst I've ever felt but it definitely doesn't feel good. I'm just ready for it to heal. I hate being confined to bed.”

Armin laughed quietly, “Man, Hazel has quite a grip.” The infant had latched onto one of his fingers and wouldn't let go, much to his amusement.

Eren smiled at the scene.

Hanji began cleaning up his wound ever so carefully, doing her best to keep him out of pain.

He hissed in response, clenching a hand on the bed sheets. Luckily it was over quickly and Hanji was pressing the new gauze into place. Eren winced at the motion but managed to keep any sounds quiet.

“There we go, sorry about that,” she called soothingly as she moved his shirt back into place. She then pulled the blankets back to their former position.

“It's alright,” he breathed, offering her a strained smile.

The brunette returned it and patted his hand. “Alright, I need to report to Erwin to give him an update on your condition.”

“The others are back already?” Armin asked curiously. He and Mikasa had been on one of the squads that returned earlier than the majority. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was due to the Captain’s bail out, especially when word had reached Commander Erwin.

“They came back much earlier than expected since they weren't really seeing any titans. Last I heard everything went fine, no casualties and limited injuries.”

Levi shifted, “Good to know my abandonment of the mission didn't cost us any losses.”

Hanji smiled again, “Nope. Everything went just fine. I would imagine once they've slept some, the rest of the 104th will want to come see the babies; be ready Eren.”

“Roger that,” he called back as the woman left.

“We should probably go too,” Mikasa admitted reluctantly, “to ensure we get some dinner.” She planted a light kiss on the baby’s brow and then handed her back to her brother. “They're beautiful Eren, you did well,” she told him proudly.

“Thanks Mikasa.”

Armin tossed him a grin as they quietly left.

Levi approached the bed again and laid Cayden on Eren’s other side. “You haven't held him yet, I'll put Hazel to bed.” He then grabbed up his daughter and made sure she was sleeping before settling her in the crib that was located next to the bed.

Eren meanwhile observed his son, immediately noticing the fact that the child had a nose similar to Levi’s. If the small wisps of raven colored hair were any indication, he felt pretty sure of the fact that Cayden would end up looking more like Levi. The image of a little version of his lover running around brought a smile to his face.

“What are you smiling about?” Levi asked him with the slightest tilt of his head.

He chuckled quietly, “Just admiring the fact that I got my wish for a baby version of you.” His gaze turned back down to his infant son who was fussing a bit. Eren’s gaze softened as he began to hum a tune, nuzzling the baby’s face affectionately.

His husband looked to him in disbelief. He  _ knew _ that song, but he hadn’t heard it in years. “How do you know that song?” he questioned, unable to hide his curiosity.

“My mother used to sing it to me,” Eren replied, having successfully calmed Cayden. He turned again to his lover, noting his unusual expression, “Levi?”

The older male cleared his throat, “Farlan… used to sing that song.”

Eren inhaled sharply, “ _ Oh _ .. sorry honey… I won’t do it anymore if-”

“No..” Levi interjected, “it’s… it’s fine. If he were around he probably would still be singing it, so it’s fitting.” He pressed a short kiss into that brunette hair, “I don’t mind.”

The sound of relaxed and even breathing alerted to the fact that their son had fallen asleep.

“I’ll get him in the crib,” Levi declared, lifting the small body gently.

Meanwhile, the younger shifted himself a bit on the bed, wincing at the pain that shot through him as he did so. “Ughhh I’m so ready to be healed,” he muttered.

“Be patient shithead, you just had a set of twins six hours ago; even you can’t heal that quick.” He seemed to remember something else then, “Do you want anything to eat?”

Eren scrunched up his nose, “No, but maybe some water?”

“Alright, I’m going to get myself some food while I’m at it,” Levi said. He paused momentarily and then bent over and kissed the brunette, “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Okay, don’t take too long.”

“I won’t.”

The sudden silence of the room bothered him. Eren huffed out a sigh and settled with looking over to his two slumbering children. Not even two minutes had passed when suddenly the twins began to sniffle.

Dread shot through the titan shifter, “Shhh please don’t cry, just wait until Papa comes back.”

Of course, the infants abided by their own rules and began to cry loudly.

“Oh come on,” he groaned in rising distress. His instincts were going haywire over their cries. Eren bit his lip as they began to increase in volume, obviously becoming more agitated. His gaze shot to the door pleadingly, hoping that by some miracle his husband would magically reappear.

It soon became clear that he was on his own.

He took a deep breath and grit his teeth, preparing to rise from the bed. He hesitated only a moment, knowing it was going to hurt. He pushed himself up to his elbows, sucking in a breath at the sharp twinge of pain that came with the motion. The sound of his children encouraged him further.

Eren got into a sitting position and paused momentarily due to the ache in his abdomen. Hanji and Levi would have his head if they walked in now. He shook his head to clear his mind and forced himself onto his feet, hand shooting out to grab onto the end table as he stumbled.

“Okay, okay,” he breathed, approaching the crib where his two newborn children lay. He smiled down at them, “Hey, now, it’s okay.” His mind blocked out his pain as he bent down and scooped up an infant into either arm.

Cayden and Hazel quieted immediately after.

“Oh now you’re calm,” Eren huffed lightly. He rocked a bit, trying not to further aggravate his stitches. A smile slowly bloomed on his face as he watched them slip back into a restful slumber.

And then the door opened to reveal Levi carrying a tray. He paused at the scene before him and immediately glared, “What _ the fuck  _ are you doing out of bed?”

The younger shook nervously but looked to the babies in his hold, “T-They started crying and I had to get them back to sleep…?”

His lover did not look impressed as he hastily sat the tray he carried down. “You should have let them until I got back,” he growled quietly. He swiftly took one of the twins and settled them in the crib, being sure to not make much noise or jostle them too much.

“They’re hours old and our different parenting styles are already showing in their care,” Eren teased when his spouse took the other child and settled her in bed.

Those sharp gray eyes silenced any other kind of retort, “Lay down, shit for brains. You could’ve injured yourself.”

“I really couldn’t help it,” he whined, “my emotions were freaking out hearing them fuss.”

“They could’ve lasted another two minutes, Eren,” Levi bit out, “now lay your ass  _ down _ .”

Eren flushed a bit, “...I need your help.. it…. it hurts.”

The raven rolled his eyes, “Now would you fucking imagine that?” He helped the younger back into bed, narrowing his eyes further with every wince. “You are such a dumbass, I swear.”

“L-Love you too,” he managed. He laid back against the bed and let out a breathy groan, wincing at the pulsating pain originating from his abdomen. “Why does this hurt so much?” he breathed out.

Levi hesitated for only a moment, wondering if Eren really needed to know the details. Hanji’s explanation after things had calmed somewhat was.. graphic to say the least.

He released a small sigh, “Think about it, Eren. Hanji cut you open and dug through your innards to get the babies out. Plus, she had to take out the makeshift womb that had formed.. She was afraid of some other complication coming up because it no longer served a purpose. So it’s really no surprise that you’re in pain.”

Eren looked unsure, “But.. what if we want another kid?”

The small question caught him by surprise. He was still reeling a bit with the fact that they had two children instead of the one they were anticipating, and here Eren was thinking about more. “We’ll worry about that later,” he said firmly, “we have two gross and tiny brats to deal with for now.”

His lover seemed to accept the answer, if reluctantly.

He then remembered the tray he had brought up and brought it closer to the bed. Levi handed the glass of water off to the younger, glad to see him at least drinking something. “You’ll need to eat something eventually,” he pointed out.

The brunette nodded slightly, “I know… just not now.”

Levi was satisfied with the answer, and allowed himself to sit and begin eating as Eren drank through his large glass of water.

Things were relatively quiet as Levi finished his meal. He was quick to relocate their dishes to the desk that was still posted against the wall. His keen gaze easily spotted Eren attempting to stifle a yawn.

“You should sleep,” he said.

Eren still appeared very much exhausted. It was obvious that he was still feeling the full effects of the arduous task he had just gone through. He blinked at his love sleepily, “Mmm maybe I will… for a little bit.”

Levi sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed out the other’s bangs. “Well, seeing as you were sleeping like a babe before, I hardly think that it’ll…” He stopped when the titan shifter beamed at him. “What?”

“You called me babe,” he breathed with excitement, eyes practically glowing in the dim lighting.

Mentally, he face palmed himself. “As in a baby, Eren,” he deadpanned.

He let his eyes fall shut, a pleased smile on his lips. “You still called me babe.”

“Oh go the fuck to sleep, idiot.”

Eren laughed softly as he fell into the clutches of slumber.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy guys~!

The next few days were rough to say the least - what with Eren’s surprisingly slow healing, the new parents attempting to settle into a routine with their children, and the various people visiting to see them… Things were borderline pandemonium.

Hazel and Cayden woke and cried together at random points during the night, waking both of their parents when they did. Levi would rise, hand off one or the other to his spouse, then take the other in hand. It was then they would calm the infants and distinguish the reason for their awakening. It was a bit of a surprise when they figured out it was usually for the same reason as the other twin, though there was still plenty of times when one woke the other by crying.

Hanji was great in assisting them where they needed. They were especially thankful for her intelligence, as she had single handedly made up a powder of sorts they were able to mix with milk in order to feed the babies. Her small inputs and advice definitely helped keep them sane as they adjusted to the change in their lives.

Eren, despite the help from his lover, Hanji, and other friends, continued to be stubborn. He would get up and attend the babies, even though it put him in obvious pain to do so. His incision site was healing at a snail’s pace at best, which only made for a more pushy Hanji and Levi. The lack of decent sleep was bad enough, not allowing himself to heal before being so active was worse.

By the time the end of the first week came, Levi was sure the bags beneath his eyes would be permanent if they weren’t already. But, despite this, he felt grateful for his little mismatched family. He never would’ve imagined himself as a father, and yet there he was, helping Eren raise the two new lives that had entered the world. Who would’ve thought?

* * *

One night as Eren was lying abed alongside his slumbering lover, he heard the distinct whimpering begin from the twins who were situated in their cribs in the small adjoining room to his and Levi’s. He sat up slowly, wiping at his exhausted eyes. His hearing had quickly become accustomed to hearing even the slightest of noises from his children. The same could not exactly be said for his spouse, who seemed to only hear them once they were fully crying loudly.

But, tired as he was, he couldn’t find it in himself to be bitter towards the other. Levi was still working a bit even though he was technically on leave, at least for three months. So that coupled with his usual lacking ability to sleep and then the wearisome days caring for their newborns was a lot.

He lumbered into the extra room and lifted his fussing son into his arms with a low hushing sound. “It’s alright baby,” he murmured, “Daddy’s here. Now what do we need this time?” If the usual timing was anything to go off of, it was time for a diaper change. He quickly changed his son and shushed both of them back into a sleepy peace.

Once they were both successfully out again, Eren found himself looking down at the twins as they slept. They were only about two weeks old, yet they already seemed attached to one another. Their little hands often found each other’s bodies, where they would clasp onto the fabric of their onesies. It warmed his heart to see.

He also felt immensely relieved that despite their quite early arrival, besides being very small, they seemed to be healthy. Nothing had come up by way of their breathing or otherwise. His babies were growing more everyday, and they were healthy.

“You got them back to sleep then?”

Eren looked to the doorway where he found his lover leaning against the frame. He sent him a small smile.

“Yeah. Cayden just needed a diaper change, and Hazel needed to be comforted but they’re okay now,” Eren replied in a low, quiet tone.

Levi gave him a small nod, “Sorry I didn’t get up sooner. I guess my hearing is still kinda fucked up.”

The younger sighed, biting his lip at the memory and going to his husband’s strong side. He wrapped his arms around Levi’s neck and huddled into him.

“It’s fine,” he assured. “I’m hypersensitive to it now anyway, so it probably wouldn’t have mattered.”

Eren felt Levi nod into his shoulder, the man’s strong arms instinctively going to hug his waist. He nuzzled sleepily into the man’s dark locks, the lack of sleep catching up to him all of a sudden. 

“Were you watching them sleep like a fucking creep?” the man asked in a deceptively light tone.

The brunette in his arms pulled away like he was on fire, glaring at his husband.

“S-so what if I was? Look how cute they are when they sleep...I couldn’t help it.”

Levi smirked and scoffed, “Doesn’t make it any less creepy.”

Eren’s cheeks puffed out as a blush slowly covered his face, marking his ears and nose with a rosy pink. He crossed his arms over his chest in a pout and sneered at his lover, “Whatever...I watch  _ you _ when  _ you  _ sleep sometimes--it’s not any different than that! Plus look how sweet they look…”

“Yeah they’re adorable but--wait a fucking minute,” gray eyes narrowed at him, “Did you just say you watch me when I sleep?”

The young father smiled sheepishly, Levi paling at the response, “It’s the only time I get to see you without that crease in your brow.”

As if on cue, the Corporal’s brow creased with another glare.

“Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night I just watch you while I fall back asleep,” Eren looked up at him with sparkling eyes, “You look really cute.”

“I am  _ not  _ cute,” the older argued, staring strangely at his husband.

Eren just smiled at him, blush still staining his cheeks.

“You are...Plus I know you watch me when I sleep at night. So you can’t say anything,” the brunette surmised with a smirk.

Levi’s gray eyes darted to the ground with an embarrassed scowl, “Oh shut the fuck up. You know I sleep like shit at night.”

Eren just smiled and brought his arms back round to his husband’s neck, hugging him close and kissing his lips gently.

“Well I guess we’re even then.”

For a while they just stood there, held in each other’s arms, taking in even breaths as they watched their peacefully sleeping children. Levi held his waist close and Eren huddled himself into his collarbone, taking solace in the warmth there. He shivered a bit against the cold night air. He pulled away gently, Levi watching him carefully as he tucked the blankets around his babies tighter. He looked down upon their sweet faces, soft with milky dreams, little mouths pursed and rosy, cheeks plump. 

“They’re beautiful.”

The admission from his husband made Eren grin. He turned back to Levi, taking his hand in his and kissing it, intertwining their fingers.

“They are.”

They watched for a few minutes more. Their little ones hands had found each other again. 

“We should go back to bed now,” Levi said quietly, giving Eren a small tug on the arm. “You can watch them all you want in the morning.”

The younger nodded and smiled, following his husband’s lead through the door and back to their bed. They laid down, listening carefully to make sure no more fuss came from the room next to theirs. Not a peep was heard. Levi’s arms pulled Eren close, hugging his back to his chest and laying a gentle kiss into his hair. As the brunette drifted into sleep, he could hear his husband’s breathy whispering, “I love you so much, you shitty, beautiful brat.”

Eren fell asleep with a smile.

* * *

Levi looked over the squirming mound of flesh he held with a sharp eye. Its soft chocolatey tufts of hair and big green eyes remained an odd reminder of what strange events had led up to him being a parent of two brats - scratch that, three, since Eren still counted.

"I guess how big you got makes sense now," Levi grumbled, resituating the baby’s head so as to ensure there wasn’t pressure on the neck. He bounced his arms a bit, not missing the smile that took his daughter’s face. "Look how fat Hazel is."

It was true that of the two, Hazel seemed to be growing at a faster rate. Her weight and length had increased rather dramatically since birth, while Cayden’s rate of growth was a bit slower. Though he too was steadily getting bigger.

Eren's head shot up from cooing at their son to glare at his lover.

"She's not  _ fat, _ Levi. She's just growing. Hanji said she's almost up to normal size of a week old baby," the young man argued, holding the boy in his grasp close to his chest as if to shield him too from his father's crude remarks.

"Whatever. She needs to stop smiling, too. It’s fucking creepy." Even as he said as such, her small face lit up with a small smile.

Eren laughed, “She’s happy. That’s a good thing, Levi.”

He poked the little raven haired baby gently in the stomach. The boy squirmed a bit and let out an indignant whine at the prodding. Eren smiled at the reaction.

“It’s better than Mr. Sourpuss over here.” The younger smirked at his lover, “Wonder where he got his attitude from.”

“Tch.” A scoff and an eyeroll was all the response Eren got.

Meanwhile, the short Corporal shifted the girl in his arms, seemingly uncomfortable with his position. Eren sniggered at his awkwardness. Levi shot him a glare.

"How am I even supposed to hold this thing?" the older man grumbled as he shifted the baby again in his arms.

Eren laughed, "She has a name you know."

Levi frowned. "Of course I know, shitface. But how do I hold her without my arms going numb?"

Eren merely grinned at the man and bounced the boy a bit from where he lay on his legs, cooing again.

"You know he's human," Levi mocked. "You don't have to speak uneducated gibberish to him. He won't understand it either way."

The teal eyed man stuck his tongue out at the other before standing up and crossing the room. Levi followed the other’s motions with a close eye. It had been about a month or so since the babies had been born, and quite frankly it shocked Levi how quickly Eren had managed to get back to normal. Hanji had guessed he might be out of comission for a few weeks, then would be up and moving - but Eren had been up and about much sooner. And there the man was, rocking a small raven haired child as he almost danced around the room. It amazed him.

“Cayden looks just like you, Levi,” Eren stated, grinning wide as he made his way over to the other.

Levi scoffed, “His eyes are tinted green, shitty brat, he looks nothing like me.”

The young man’s smile only widened as he leaned in toward his husband, lips pursed and expectant. Levi rolled his eyes and planted a soft kiss on the other man’s sweet lips. Levi smiled a bit despite himself, unable to hold back the amusement his hodgepodge little family brought him.

“Hanji said that my eyes might have been the ‘dominant trait’,” Eren mused. As if hearing this, two sleepy sets of teal pools looked toward the familiar voice.

The shorter man glared at him, smirking darkly with a sensual look in his eyes that made Eren tremble, “How fantastic for you, seeing as though it’s the only time you’ll be dominant in this relationship.”

Eren’s cheeks flushed immediately. “L-Levi! Don’t say stuff like that in front of the babies!!”

Levi raised a raven brow at the other, shaking his head. “They’re  _ babies _ , Eren. They have no idea what I’m saying, so it doesn’t matter.”

The brunette puffed his cheeks out in a pout, “Well, it’s not my fault then if they inherit your terrible language.”

“I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, shitface.”

“My point exactly.”

* * *

It had been another long day of taking care of the twins, and Eren was absolutely spent. They had cried over ten times that day, over various reasons including soiled diapers, lack of milk, and overall loneliness. Already the brunette could tell that his two babies would be spoiled by his love--he just couldn't stand to hear them cry, so all they had to do was let out a whine and up in his arms they went. Nonetheless it was exhausting. 

So when Levi came back to the room and offered to take them off his hands for a while-- or more like ordered he hand them over so Eren could take a damn shower--he immediately obliged. He kissed the twins on the head and their bleary teal eyes lifted to his curiously. He smiled, giving Levi a quick peck before heading off. As the scalding hot water washed away the day, he couldn't help but look back.

It had been a long journey for Eren and Levi. They had come so far in their relationship together. From a cynical protector and bratty subordinate, to mentor and prideful student, to close friends and comrades, to lovers with lasting glances, to married couple...and now they had taken the next step. The step to fatherhood. Already, life was so different with their two bundles of joy. Eren had worried that their relationship might be hindered when their baby was born, but in actuality it was only stronger.  Eren had never heard the words 'I love you' more from his lover than he did now. It was almost baffling to him, the complete turnaround in Levi's character when the children were involved. He hadn't changed, but that soft side he didn't often show was leaking through much more often. And every time he heard those words fall from his husband's lips as he cradled a child to his chest, Eren fell in love all over again. 

His hands traveled unconsciously down his stomach as he washed himself, touching gently the large scar on his abdomen. Hanji had said that it would disappear in the not too distant future due to his healing, and he couldn't help but feel sorry at that. It was a sign of what he had been through, and would go through a thousand times again if he had to. It was a sad thought to him that he wouldn't be able to show it to Cayden and Hazel one day when they were older. He rubbed the wound with a frown, sighing as he shrugged and rinsed his body. 

Eren got out and began to towel himself dry, wondering how Levi was handling their kids while he was away. He supposed it was dumb, being worried about him--the man could kill titans afterall. But this had been quite a learning curve for his raven haired love, and he couldn't help but worry about him. He had been very awkward with the twins at first, and though he had mostly gotten over it by now, he was still a little wary on his parenting skills. At least that's what Levi thought--Eren thought he was doing amazingly. The man was even helping clean diapers.  _ Captain Levi _ cleaning dirty diapers. Eren was amazed.

The young father threw on some loose clothes and headed back into their room. Hopefully the babies were asleep by now, but Eren wasn't going to place any bets on it. They had very weird sleeping hours, and it wasn't rare for them to fall asleep early and wake back up when their Papa came back from training. That's why when Eren walked into the room and found the two sound asleep in Levi's arms, he was a bit surprised.

"Did they go to sleep already?" he asked quietly.

It was only when he approached the couch that he realized why Levi hadn't responded. The raven was sprawled across the couch, feet up and boots hastily kicked off. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top only, as if he had gotten tired and decided to quit in the middle of undressing. The babies were perched in either of his arms, clutched close to his chest. Their little heads laid close to his heart and Levi's head was buried in between their two mops of peach fuzz hair. Their eyes were closed and all three of their bodies were slack with sleep. 

Eren had to put his hand over his mouth to keep from giggling. He supposed Levi had done just fine with the kids after all, if all three of them sleeping in a pile was any indication.

He gently pulled the babies from his lover's arms, placing them in their crib as they slept peacefully. Then he piled onto the couch next to Levi, pulling his arms around him and snuggling into his warmth. Their life had changed quite a bit in these past few weeks, but Eren couldn't find a reason to care. Because whatever darkness that remained in the world could always be brightened by twin pairs of shining green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! So that was TECHNIQUELY the end of this story...but stayed tuned for another update within the next few days, because there WILL be a SMUT EPILOGUE. Yes, you heard that right. So if you were only reading for that smut tag skip all the way to 24 next week because that's where it is. And it. Will. Be. Grand. 
> 
> Also note that someday, we will be posting a sequel to this fic about Eren and Levi's life as dads. Not sure when that will happen but be on the lookout for that too. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone for your kind words and encouragement throughout, hope you all enjoyed. Love ya! See you soon!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter acts as a prologue (even though it's at the end) to this entire story. Soooo basically we wrote the babies being conceived...hehhea  
> So if you are sensitive to explicit sex, don't read this? Like it's smut, sex, doing the deed with two men so if you don't like that don't read this chapter, okay?  
> Otherwise hon hon hon welcome to Riren hell...  
> And enjoy the smut!

_ Take two pills before, and it should work. Two pills before every engagement you two have--the chance is low, but if done often enough, it could still happen. Fingers crossed! _

That’s what Hanji had told him. He’d already taken a week’s worth of the trial drug, and so far the shifter found the results highly unsatisfactory. No growth, no symptoms, nothing. Nothing to indicate he had somehow grown a womb and conceived a child--a concept he found unlikely at best at this point.

A week had passed, and the two had already done it four times. Well, below their average, but still enough that Eren was beginning to throw his hope in this “miracle drug” out the window. 

But he’d be damned if he gave up so easily.

And so he found himself sitting on his and Levi’s bed and swallowing a pair of pills in anticipation for his husband’s return. 

A soft scoff from the doorway alerted Eren to his lover’s arrival. He quickly shoved his pill bottle under the mattress.

The ravenette entered the small room, skin slightly sticky with sweat from teaching new recruits and shoulders tense with his unshakeable frustration. His silver eyes lifted to eye the slim brat curled up on his bed. Eren peered back, eyes wide and bright, trying to assess the older male’s mood.

“You look like a sad ass puppy, brat,” the man sneered, shrugging off his jacket and folding it over a chair.

Eren simply smiled.

“Well I miss you during the day, so of course I look lost,” he quipped.

Levi grunted, continuing to strip off layers, his cravat placed on the desk as he began to unbutton his shirt.

The teen was already sick with want watching the smaller man simply take off his shirt. Another  _ helpful _ effect of the drug he’d noticed; in Levi’s presence he was nearly always aroused. It acted almost like an aphrodisiac in that way. But it also made it extremely frustrating when Levi wasn’t in the mood.

Eren shifted on the sheets, making room for his spouse. He lifted his hands from the bed and helped Levi remove his crisp, white shirt as he sat down. The beautiful man before him was still dressed in an undershirt and his tight white pants, but Eren couldn’t help imagining the even more beautiful sight held right under those thin layers. 

Levi sighed heavily, running a hand through his sleek hair as he leaned back against the bedframe.

“So how was your day?” Eren purred lightly, following his husband’s motions in order to sit beside him, head resting gently on the man’s shoulder.

“Shitty. How else would it be? I’ve been dealing with a bunch of little shits all day,” the older grumbled, an evidently sour mood showing itself.

_ Damn, he’ll be hard to crack tonight,  _ Eren decided. But that didn’t matter--because he had known Levi long enough to know every little thing that drove him crazy. He lifted his sights, gazing at the male’s strong face with wide eyes, eyelashes fluttering softly and teal jewels sparkling with an innocent tint.

“I’m sorry, Levi...is there anything I can do to make it better?” he said suggestively, tone still innocent as he nuzzled his husband’s shoulder gently.

The captain pulled away slightly to rub at the back of his neck, brows knit together in frustration.

“You can kill all those damn annoying brats for starters,” Levi snarked. 

Eren’s face fell a bit.  _ He can be so dense sometimes. _ Not that it mattered though, because the teen still had a litany of strategies left.

He smiled gently at the stoic man, “How about a little massage instead?”

Levi eyed him warily, before turning his back to the younger and grunting. 

“My neck and back are fucking killing me…” he admitted.

A devilish grin lit up Eren’s face as he leaned forward to whisper into Levi’s ear.

“Can you say ‘please’?” he purred against the cool skin.

His superior didn’t even twitch. He simply turned to scowl at the boy before pinching his thigh harshly. Eren whined a bit louder than he’d intended at that.

“Can you do as you  _ offered _ and rub my fucking back?” Levi spat back.

The younger sighed heavily into his lover’s ear. 

“Fine, fine…” Eren cooed, hands finding rest on Levi’s tense shoulders.

Tension immediately began to melt from the stiff muscles as Eren rubbed smooth circles into the knotted flesh. Levi sighed in relief as his lover moved his kind fingers against his tense body. 

"Thanks, brat," he sighed, pushing back against the gentle hands to get more pressure. 

"You're welcome...I'd do this for you any day, Levi."

He punctuated his sentence with a harsher twist of his hand, smoothing over the muscles and making a soft grunt as he did so. He could see his lover smirk at him.

"Too hard for you?" Levi mocked.

_ That's not what's hard _ , the teen thought. Blush stained his face as he worked his hands to Levi's lower back. 

"Hmmm...no...not hard." 

They sat in silence for a bit after that. Levi's strong muscles worked free of their knots fairly fast, leaving Eren rubbing the already relaxed flesh to an unnecessary extent. He saw Levi peer back at him a few times, annoyance at the excessive massage slight on his face. But that didn't stop the shifter. He rubbed his hands further until they rested on his lover's hips, rubbing soft lines into the side of his pelvis as he rested his head against the strong, relaxed back.

"Eren...?"

“I love you so much, Levi…” Eren purred into the small his back.

That enigmatic smirk widened and Levi shifted around on the sheets until he could brush his lips past the younger’s sensitive neck.

“Horny little brat tonight, aren’t we?” the man purred into him.

Eren shivered as he felt Levi’s warm breath across his wanting skin, body moving of its own volition to be closer to the short male.

“Yes, Levi...I-I just want you so bad,” Eren begged.

The captain moved around again, the discomfort he felt in his tight uniform pants obvious to the excited male before him. Eren went to reach for his belt but Levi’s hands caught him. He whined in disappointment, though not for long as he was swiftly pinned to the bed.

“You filthy little thing,” Levi hummed, slowly grinding his lower half onto the other’s, “you’ve been trying to tempt me this whole time, haven’t you?”

Eren gasped at the contact, hands immediately going to pull the shorter man closer, though unable to do so as they were held impossibly immobile. 

“L-Levi!”

The male growled in response, swooping down to capture the younger’s strawberry lips in a searing kiss. Eren moaned when he felt Levi’s tongue tracing his upper lip sensually, pulling it to his mouth with a gentle nip before sliding his tongue into the teen’s panting mouth. The fight for dominance was short as always, Levi winning over and exploring Eren’s mouth with skillful strokes of his tongue. The brunette was gasping for breath when the dark-haired man finally pulled away from him. A small string of saliva connected their mouths, which Levi stole away by laving his tongue over the teen’s flushed lips. 

“You disgust me,” Levi spat, though his revolving hips conveyed the exact opposite. 

“Hah--! I-I’m sorry I di-disgust you…” Eren choked through his own gasping breaths, “M-maybe you should punish me for it…?”

Oh damn, that got Levi’s blood boiling.

“You want me to punish you, hmm?”

Eren nodded profusely, words escaping him as Levi’s relentless hips brought him already near to completion. 

“Please! P-please I just...want something...please…”

Levi licked his lips at the delicious, little innocent display Eren was putting on for him. He let go of Eren’s hands in favor of pulling those lithe legs up to straddle him. Eren gasped as he was sat down in Levi’s lap, quickly grinding down onto the hard ridge below him to get back the pleasure in his lower half. Even Levi made a small grunt at the action.

“I’ll give you something, Eren…”

“Yes...please Levi,” Eren whined.

The ravenette leaned in, tracing his tongue over the lobe of his lover’s ear as he groaned forlornly into the flushed skin. 

“Eren…” Levi rolled deep into his ear, “why don’t you get on your knees for me?”

Eren’s body went rigid, a harsh shudder wracking his body as he panted into Levi’s neck. He pulled away to look into his lover’s eyes for confidence, and seeing the lustful fire shading those normally calm greys made him scrabble off of the older male’s lap in order to get onto his knees.

He got on all fours for the man, turning around and setting his ass high in the air so Levi could see his property. The captain grunted in surprise, scoffing before grabbing Eren’s hips and turning him back to face him.

“Silly little brat,” he chided, “you can’t suck me off with your back turned.”

“But--” Eren started.

But he was quickly cut off as Levi slammed his lips back on his in another demanding kiss. 

Levi was growling again as he pulled back, dark eyes locking Eren’s in place, “Suck me off, and I’ll make sure I fuck your pretty ass just right.”

Eren couldn’t argue with that logic. As long as Levi fucked him when the medicine was still in his bloodstream, he was happy--strike that, he was happy whenever Levi did him. There was really no way he could lose when pleasuring his lover.

The younger male immediately set to unbuttoning his husband’s pants, sighing softly when Levi’s hands went to cup his face and stroke his hair in a loving manner. That was something he’d always love about Levi--even during the fits of passion, even when he was pushing Eren around and giving orders, whether in the bedroom or not, he would do things like that to let the teen know his love was ever present. It made Eren want him even more.

The button on those cramped pants popped open easily, and Eren wasted no time in reaching into them to find his prize. Levi hissed in pleasure as Eren pulled out his throbbing erection, pumping it slowly and looking up at the other with hooded aqua eyes. There was a soft tug at the brunette’s hair, making the young adult let out a breathy giggle at Levi’s impatience. He made direct eye contact with his lover as he took the head into his mouth. 

Levi threw his head back and sighed, rubbing Eren’s head and tussling his hair as he pleasured him with his experienced mouth. Those teal eyes were burning holes into the stoic man’s skin, watching him intently as that sweet mouth took in more and more of him. It was too much--Levi closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, trying not to cum from such simple stimulation.

Eren was nearly in the same situation. He found himself grinding his thighs together, reaching down to rub himself through his own tight pants as he dragged his tongue over the throbbing vein on Levi’s thick length. His lover’s reactions were amazing--those simple sighs and slightly flushed pale cheeks only made his pleasure more and more. 

Eren worked his head more, bobbing on the length and pulling back a few times to suck hard around it. Levi was struggling to contain his moans. He gripped those bouncing chocolate locks like a lifeline and shoved Eren’s head down onto him. 

“Cumming…” he warned shallowly as he gave a few lazy thrusts into Eren’s welcoming mouth.

The teen didn’t even hesitate when Levi shoved him down. In fact, he liked it when the man was rough with him, and that extra bit of arousal sent him over the edge. He let out a harsh moan around the dick in his throat, vibrating and shaking with his lust as he released into his pants. Levi followed quickly after, releasing into his lover’s mouth which eagerly swallowed down every drop he had. 

The hand on his hair let up and instead lifted his chin so that Levi could look into those clouded eyes.

“Was that too rough?” he asked softly, wiping saliva and cum from the teen’s chin.

Eren smiled his angel’s smile as he sat back on his legs. “No, I liked it,” he admitted with a blush.

Levi smirked lightly, bringing the other in for a gentle kiss. The younger’s lips tasted bitter but he didn’t mind at all. The taste of himself on Eren’s mouth only made him groan with pleasure.

“Oh? What’s this?” Levi questioned knowingly, bringing his hand down to stroke the full wet spot on Eren’s pants.

A gasp escaped him and he found himself rubbing against Levi’s curious hand again, ready for round two. The hormones in Hanji’s drug were honestly ridiculous; he didn’t doubt that Levi could use him the whole night and he’d still be begging for more because of its effects.

“You just couldn’t wait, could you?” Levi tutted, shaking his head, eyes dark.

“N-no...I couldn’t. It was too much,” Eren choked.

“Naughty little thing,” a dark smirk lit the older’s face, “cumming from sucking someone’s dick.”

Eren laughed a little, crawling back into Levi’s lap and shaking his hips tauntingly.

“But you like it when I’m naughty…” Eren whispered into the heated air, “don’t you?”

And just like that, Eren was flipped onto his back and his shirt was being pulled over his head. He groaned when he felt Levi grinding into his leg. The captain tore his shirt off his body and threw it across the room--something Eren didn’t doubt he’d chide himself for later. He then began to suck hickeys down Eren’s throat, seeing as though the brat was already impatiently working on the buttons of his pants. 

By the time Eren had shimmied his pants as low on his hips as he could with Levi sitting on top of him, his lover had sucked large patches of marks into his tan skin. Levi moved his hips so that Eren could remove his pants and underwear as he finally stripped himself of his remaining T-shirt and pants. Once they were stripped, they both took a moment to eye each other. Eren, with his tanned skin marked with red splotches, was blushing head to toe, his defined stomach twitching in anticipation. Levi’s lax muscles had tensed as he looked over Eren, eyes hungry as if he were a predator eyeing its prey, his long and nimble fingers were torturous as they dragged smooth lines down his hips to his entrance. 

Eren gasped when he felt Levi’s fingers, slicked with lube run down the cleft of his ass to reach his hole. He opened his mouth to beg, but was silenced when two of those lovely fingers slid inside of him. 

“Uhhnn! L-Levi! P-please!” the young male gasped, pushing back to get more of his lover’s lithe fingers.

“Be patient, you little shit,” the man purred affectionately as he pushed his fingers in and out of the welcoming body under him.

Eren groaned in frustration. Levi hushed him with a hiss, thrusting his fingers faster and licking up the teen’s twitching abs to appease the horny mess Eren had become. He whined and panted at every touch Levi gave. And the man above him had to use all his self-control in order to not thrust without abandon into that tight, open heat. 

“L-Levi...Levi...I’m ready! T-that’s enough please...I can’t anymore..!”

And with that Levi broke. He pulled out his wet fingers and positioned himself at Eren’s trembling entrance. He slowly pushed in, feeling Eren slacken around him to let him slide in easily. A sigh escaped both of them when Levi slid in to the hilt without a problem.

“M-movee…”

Levi grunted as he looked down into that tan face that was brightened up with a pair of impossibly teal eyes--he watched as that face he loved contorted with pleasure, flushed with color and dripped with sweat as he set a fast pace of thrusting. They both liked it hard and fast, they’d learned early in their relationship, so really there was no need for one to ask the other how it was. 

It was just how they wanted it.

Levi watched every reaction that beautiful face made, and when he saw those enigmatic eyes widen and his back arch, he began to thrust harder. He completely attacked Eren’s pleasure point on each of his thrusts, making the teen cry out in explicit and oblivious pleasure. The brunette could only see white as pleasure blinded him and he came over and over again onto his stomach, positively screaming in ecstasy.

Eren came and his inner muscles clenched and seized around Levi’s length, sending him over the edge after a few more shaky and erratic thrusts. He came into the willing body before him, completely oblivious to Eren’s wide smile as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to let out a drawn out groan. 

They both collapsed into each other's arms, completely spent from their exploits. Eren tucked himself into the other’s chest, sighing softly and relaxing as those familiar arms wrapped lazily around his waist.

“Fucking brat…”

Eren laughed tiredly, “What?”

“You. You fucking enticed me into fucking you when you damn well know you have training tomorrow,” Levi said with a scowl, pinching Eren’s side half-heartedly.

The teen smiled slyly.  _ Why yes, I did have an ulterior motive...but that wasn’t it.  _

“Hhhhmm, well I already had Hanji put in my request for a day off tomorrow so...it’s not really a problem.”

Levi scowled at him again and kicked his shin, “You spoiled little shit.”

Eren smiled and snuggled closer to his lover.

“You’re going to have to cut out that language if we have children someday,” the brunette chided slyly.

“Tch!” Levi scoffed haughtily, “Yeah fuck off. I’ll do that the day you fucking get pregnant.”

Eren smiled, “Whatever you say, babe.”


End file.
